Siemens Gamesa Launches First 10MW Offshore Turbine

Spanish offshore industry player Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has unveiled a giant new 10+ MW wind turbine it claims will boost yields by 30 per cent, paving the way for a new generation of super-charged offshore wind farms.

The turbine maker said in a press release that the new SG 10.0-193 DD is set to hit the market in 2022.

Based on the experience of its previous generations, the newest wind turbine in the SGRE offshore product portfolio builds on proven technology for maximum energy yield at all wind speeds. It offers the same reliability while improving profitability and reducing risk for customers.

“The new SG 10.0-193 DD combines experiences and knowledge from five generations of proven direct drive technology in one 10 MW turbine. A showcase of strong performance, swift time-to-market, and low risk in the offshore wind energy market,” says Markus Tacke, CEO of SGRE.

The 10 MW rating is made possible through a larger generator diameter, building on the proven SGRE Direct Drive generator technology.

By increasing the rotor diameter to 193 meters, this new wind turbine offers up to 30% more AEP than its predecessor, the SG 8.0-167 DD. Its 94-meter-long-blades provide a swept area of 29,300 m². Each blade is almost the same length as one soccer field.

The technology on the offshore direct drive platform allows for the re-use of most components from previous generations, providing a short time to market. The prototype is expected to be installed in 2019 with commercial market deployment expected in 2022.

“Siemens Gamesa has been applying its knowledge and experience directly into offshore wind turbines for decades. Utilizing proven components and concepts provides us with a strong, established value chain, with clear processes and skilled employees ready to go, leveraging on a fully-developed and industrialized supply chain,” says Andreas Nauen, CEO of the SGRE Offshore Business Unit.

The nacelles of this new offshore wind turbine will be initially manufactured at the SGRE factory in Cuxhaven, Germany, the world's largest plant for offshore wind turbine nacelles.

The annual energy production of one SG 10.0-193 DD is sufficient to supply about 10,000 European households with electricity. This means that an offshore wind park composed of 20 of these turbines would cover the annual electricity consumption of a city the size of Liverpool.