Siemens Increases Power Output of Direct Drive Offshore Wind Turbine

Reliable technology is one of the primary levers in Siemens’ goal to reduce the cost of offshore wind power generation. In this regard, the company’s flagship offshore wind turbine, the SWT-6.0-154, has already set new standards in gearless turbine design. Today, the market leader in offshore raises the bar yet again: Introducing a generator upgrade to seven megawatt (MW), the new Siemens SWT-7.0-154 delivers nearly ten percent more energy production than the predecessor under offshore wind conditions while retaining the same proven reliability: Development engineers have refined solely those turbine components needed to increase electrical output. The new model is already set to go into series production by 2017.

Stronger permanent magnets and generator segments in the permanent magnet generator provide the key to harvesting a higher yield. Additionally, the converter and transformer have been upgraded, in line with the higher electrical output: All other components remain the same tried and proven engineering of the 6-MW wind turbine, giving Siemens' customers the assurance of relying on proven technology and supply chain while significantly increasing energy production. The 6-MW-version will continue to be available for sales but following the improvements, Siemens has renamed the product platform to D7.

Siemens is presenting its new SWT-7.0-154 to the world's experts at the international wind power conference and exhibition EWEA Offshore 2015 in Copenhagen. The product is yet another innovative step by the company to lower the cost of generating electricity on the high seas. "Our new wind turbine offers our customers an investment as reliable as our proven G4 and D6 product platforms," notes Offshore CEO Michael Hannibal of Siemens Wind Power and Renewables. "Yet it also answers market demands to achieve greater energy yield at lower cost and effort."

Cost reduction through innovation is the key factor of the new turbine and also of new Siemens grid access solutions. The turbine’s long structural design lifetime of 25 years and increased power rating create a remarkable cost of energy benefit. In transmission, Siemens is pursuing the same goal with its distributed power transmission technology, enabling grid connection of offshore wind turbines without the need for high-voltage alternating-current (HVAC) offshore substations. The conventional platform can be substituted by the new Siemens Grid Access Solution in AC-technology which acts as a distributed transmission asset and can be mounted together with a turbine on the same foundation or independently. This environmentally-friendly solution offers substantially reduced size, weight, and costs, while improving the customer’s flexibility.

Siemens at EWEA Offshore 2015 in Copenhagen: Hall E, Stand D31