Siemens Gamesa recently became one of the first turbine manufacturers worldwide to receive a second rotor-nacelle assembly (RNA) IEC type certificate covering resistance to extreme wind conditions. Issued by TÜV NORD, the SG 11.0-200 DD offshore wind turbine joins the SG 8.0-167 DD offshore wind turbine with this certification. Both Siemens Gamesa machines are thus able to withstand Typhoon or T-class wind speeds as determined by the IEC, reaching 57 m/sec. for 10 min. and 3 sec gusts of up to 79.8 m/sec.
“We are driven to ensure that our turbines can sustain the extreme weather events such as typhoons seen in Asia Pacific. We’re thus tremendously proud to have received this second rotor-nacelle assembly type certification. With the region poised to become even more significant globally, it strengthens our focus on delivering value to our customers,” says Marc Becker, Chief Executive Officer of the Siemens Gamesa Offshore Business Unit.
Currently over 1200 units of the offshore Direct Drive platform are installed and operating across the globe, including in Asia Pacific on Formosa 1 project in Taiwan. The robustness of the installed fleet is demonstrated via availability rates across the 1200 units of above 97% in calendar year 2020.
In addition to T-Class wind speed compliance, Siemens Gamesa is working closely with local authorities and certifying bodies to ensure that all applicable standards are considered. For example, the company is part of the international ACE (Alleviating Cyclone and Earthquake challenges for wind farms) Joint Industry Project. The initiative aims at gathering cross-industry experiences to align wind turbine design methodologies for extreme environmental conditions.
Siemens Gamesa has also been developing its offshore platform to operate in both high and low ambient temperatures, thus reducing thermal limitation and increasing annual energy production while preserving turbine lifetime. Those product features will contribute to the further expansion of offshore wind in Asia Pacific, where it is meant to play an important part in the decarbonisation of society. In Japan, the government revealed late 2020 long-term and visionary objectives for the industry, with 30 - 45 GW to be installed by 2040.
The SG 11.0-200 DD turbine has a rated capacity of 11 MW and a 200 m diameter rotor using 97 m long Siemens Gamesa B97 IntegralBlades. The SG 8.0-167 DD wind turbine has a rated capacity of 8 MW and a 167 m diameter rotor with a 167 m diameter, using 81 m long Siemens Gamesa B81 IntegralBlades. The two products utilise the same patented Siemens Gamesa Direct Drive generator technology. Both turbines, along with the larger SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbine, are designed to sustain withstand extreme wind conditions such as those covered by T-Class compliance.
