American wind turbine manufacturer
GE Wind Energy
is a branch of
GE Renewable Energy
, a subsidiary of
General Electric
. The company manufactures and sells
wind turbines
to the international market. In 2018, GE was the fourth largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world.
[1]
History
[
edit
]
Enron Wind acquisition era (2002-2015)
[
edit
]
The entity was created as developer (not manufacturer)
Zond
in 1980 by
James G.P. Dehlsen
, who also formed
Clipper Windpower
in 2001.
Enron
acquired
Zond
and the German manufacturer
Tacke Windtechnik
in 1997.
In 2002, while
gas turbine
sales were declining,
[2]
GE acquired the
Enron Wind
, the only surviving US manufacturer of large wind turbines at the time, during the bankruptcy proceedings of its parent, Enron. GE increased engineering and support for the Wind Division and doubled its annual sales to $1.2B in 2003.
By acquiring
Zond
, GE gained a very important patent for variable-speed systems (
US 5083039
),
[3]
[4]
which had a major impact on the North American market. Enron had continued production of the 1 MW and 1.5 MW wind turbines of
Tacke Windtechnik
and GE has expanded production in Germany.
GE acquired
ScanWind
in 2009,
[5]
and in 2011 Wind Tower Systems LLC, a manufacturer of
space frame
wind turbine towers.
[6]
Growth and acquisitions (2015-)
[
edit
]
After the acquisition of
Alstom
's energy generating assets (2015) GE's wind portfolio was expanded to include the 6-megawatt 'Haliade' offshore turbine (at that time one of the world's
most powerful turbines
) from
Alstom Wind
. This became
GE Wind (offshore)
. The same year, GE added Blade Dynamics Ltd., a designer and manufacturer of modular wind turbine blades with principal facilities on the
Isle of Wight
and in
Southampton
.
GE acquired
LM Wind Power
from
Doughty Hanson & Co
for an
enterprise value
of €1.5 billion in April 2017.
[7]
Products
[
edit
]
GE Wind Turbines
[
edit
]
Product name
|
Power rating (MW)
|
Rotor diameter (m)
|
Hub height (m)
|
IEC Wind Class
|
GE 1.5se
[8]
|
1.5
|
70.5
|
54.7
|
|
GE 1.5sle
[9]
|
1.5
|
77
|
61.4
|
|
GE 1.5xle
[10]
|
1.5
|
82.5
|
59
|
|
GE 1.x-82.5
[11]
|
1.6
|
82.5
|
121.25
|
IIs
|
GE 1.x-87
[12]
|
1.85
|
87
|
80
|
IIs
|
GE 2.5xl
[13]
|
2.5
|
100
|
85
|
IIb
|
GE 1.x-100/103
[
citation needed
]
|
1.6?1.7
|
100/103
|
80, 96
|
IIIs
|
GE 3.x-103
[
citation needed
]
|
2.5?3.2
|
103
|
98, 75, 85
|
IIb
|
GE 3.x-137
[
citation needed
]
|
3.2?3.8
|
137
|
110?164
|
III
|
GE 3.x-130
[
citation needed
]
|
3.2?3.8
|
130
|
85?164
|
II
|
GE 2.x-116
[
citation needed
]
|
2.0?2.5
|
116
|
80, 90, 94
|
IIs/IIIs
|
GE 2.x-120
[
citation needed
]
|
2.5?2.75
|
120
|
85, 110, 120, 139
|
IIIs, DiBT WZII
|
GE 2.x-127
[
citation needed
]
|
2.2?2.5
|
127
|
89
|
IIs/IIIs
|
GE 4.2-117
[14]
(Typhoon class)
|
4.2
|
117
|
|
|
GE 4.8-158
[15]
|
4.8
|
158
|
101, 120.9, 149, 161
|
s
|
ECO 80
[16]
|
1.67?2
|
80
|
70?80
|
|
ECO 86
[
citation needed
]
|
1.67
|
86
|
80
|
|
ECO 100
[
citation needed
]
|
3.0
|
100
|
75, 90, 100
|
|
ECO 110
[
citation needed
]
|
3.0
|
110
|
75, 90, 100
|
|
ECO 122
[
citation needed
]
|
2.7?3.0
|
122
|
89, 119, 139
|
|
GE 3.6sl (offshore)
[17]
|
3.6
|
111
|
|
|
GE 4.1-113 (offshore)
[
citation needed
]
|
4.1
|
113
|
|
Ib
|
GE Haliade 150-6 (offshore)
[18]
|
6
|
150
|
110 or site-specific
|
Ib
|
GE Haliade-X (offshore)
[19]
[20]
|
12
|
220
|
up to 150
|
Ib
|
GE Haliade-X 13MW (offshore)
[21]
|
13
|
220
|
138
|
|
GE Haliade-X 14MW (offshore)
[22]
|
14
|
220
|
|
|
GE onshore wind turbines
[
edit
]
The GE platform began development with the creation of the 1.5-megawatt series of wind turbines that were developed with the cooperation of the
United States Department of Energy
.
[23]
It consisted of three
fibreglass
blades attached to a horizontal axis hub. The hub is connected to the main shaft that turns a multi-stage system of gears. The gears increase the rotational rate and send the
kinetic energy
obtained from the wind to a
doubly-fed electric machine
, where it is converted into electrical energy. The angle of the blades and the direction that the turbine faces are controlled by an active, all- electric pitch and yaw system. The generator and gearbox are contained in the
nacelle
, which is further insulated to minimize noise emissions.
Several optional features support its presence in
electrical grids
, including
voltage regulation
,
low voltage ride through
, and the delivery of
reactive power
during grid disturbances or periods of low wind.
To further wind power research, a unit was commissioned at the
National Wind Technology Center
in late 2009. Its 10,000 installations in the US at the time constituted 50% of the national commercial wind energy fleet, influencing the
NREL
's decision to install a model at the Center.
The next evolution, the 2.5XL, used a permanent magnet generator, and its entire output was converted to AC at mains frequency. The platform was then moved back to the use of a doubly-fed generator and rotor converter, similar to the 1.5 series.
As of 2022, GE had over 40,000 turbines installed across the globe.
[24]
GE offshore wind turbines
[
edit
]
The offshore GE 3.6 SL model was installed in 2003 at the
Arklow Bank Wind Park
in Ireland.
[25]
In the early 2010s GE cancelled its development of a 4.1-megawatt offshore wind turbine. The only example built, owned by Goteborg Energi, was erected in Goteborg, Sweden, in 2011.
Following the purchase of the Ecotecnia by Alstom and the acquisition of Alstom by General Electric, production started in 2016 at the St. Nazaire factory in France for the 6-megawatt Haliade offshore turbine, featuring a permanent magnet design. This unit started an extended test period in Spring 2016 at
Østerild Wind Turbine Test Field
.
The Haliade-X was certified for typhoons in 2021.
[26]
using a prototype in Rotterdam. GE and Hyundai agreed to build a Haliade-X factory in South Korea.
[27]
Key projects
[
edit
]
The 845-megawatt
Shepherds Flat Wind Farm
in
Oregon
is the first windpark in the United States to utilize permanent magnet design in its primary wind turbine.
Fantanele-Cogealac Wind Farm
in Romania, constructed in 2008, uses 240 GE 2.5xl wind turbines capable of generating a total of 600 MW, powering a million Romanian households each year.
[28]
The offshore GE 3.6 SL model was installed at the
Arklow Bank Wind Park
.
Through the provision of 179 GE 3.6-137 turbines to
Markbygden Wind Farm
in Sweden, GE will create the largest single onshore wind installation in Europe. Norsk Hydro will purchase the power via a 19-year fixed volume corporate
PPA
; understood to be the largest corporate wind energy PPA in the world.
[29]
In April 2018, General Electric announced that it will begin testing the world's largest wind turbine ? the Haliade-X ? at its facilities in
Blyth
, England. General Electric's
renewable energy
department signed a five-year contract with the British government-funded Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE)
Catapult
to begin trials of the 12-megawatt turbine.
[30]
A prototype was installed at
Port of Rotterdam
, producing 288 MWh in 24 hours in February 2020,
[31]
and a 14 MW prototype started there in October 2021.
[32]
Plans in September 2020 called for a new upgraded version of 13 MW GE Haliade-X turbine to be installed at
Dogger Bank Wind Farm
by 2023,
[33]
[34]
[35]
and DNV-certified in late 2022.
[36]
See also
[
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]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Vestas Leads Break-Away Group of Big Four Turbine Makers"
. BloombergNEF. February 14, 2019
. Retrieved
2019-11-21
.
- ^
"G.E. to Buy Enron Wind-Turbine Assets"
.
New York Times
. 12 April 2002.
Archived
from the original on 15 September 2020
. Retrieved
25 May
2018
.
- ^
"Battle lines are drawn: the fight over IP rights - World Wind Technology"
.
www.windpower-international.com
. 22 February 2013.
Archived
from the original on 19 February 2021.
- ^
"Variable speed wind turbine (US 5083039 A)"
(PDF)
.
- ^
"GE boosts offshore wind with acquisition"
.
CNET
. 2009-09-14.
Archived
from the original on 15 March 2018
. Retrieved
2018-03-14
.
- ^
"GE Acquires Tall Turbine Tech From Wind Tower Systems ? TechCrunch"
.
techcrunch.com
.
Archived
from the original on 30 November 2020
. Retrieved
2018-03-14
.
- ^
"GE Completes Acquisition of LM Wind Power"
.
GE Newsroom
. 2017-04-20
. Retrieved
2018-03-14
.
- ^
"GE Energy 1.5se - Manufacturers and turbines - Online access - The Wind Power"
.
www.thewindpower.net
. Retrieved
2018-02-21
.
- ^
"GE Energy 1.5sle - Manufacturers and turbines - Online access - The Wind Power"
.
www.thewindpower.net
. Retrieved
2018-02-21
.
- ^
"GE Energy 1.5xle - Manufacturers and turbines - Online access - The Wind Power"
.
www.thewindpower.net
. Retrieved
2018-02-21
.
- ^
"GE General Electric GE 1.6-82.5 - 1,60 MW - Wind turbine"
.
en.wind-turbine-models.com
. Retrieved
2023-05-16
.
- ^
"GE General Electric GE 1.85 - 87 - 1,85 MW - Wind turbine"
.
en.wind-turbine-models.com
. Retrieved
2023-05-16
.
- ^
"General Electric ? 2.5 MW Series"
.
ESIG
. Retrieved
2023-05-17
.
- ^
"Riders On The Storm: GE Is Building A Wind Turbine That Can Weather Violent Typhoons, Hurricanes - GE Reports"
.
GE Reports
. 2018-06-17
. Retrieved
2018-07-18
.
- ^
"4.8-158 Onshore Wind Turbine | GE Renewable Energy"
.
www.ge.com
. Retrieved
2018-06-27
.
- ^
Bauer, Lucas.
"Wind turbines database"
.
en.wind-turbine-models.com
. Retrieved
2018-02-21
.
- ^
"GE Energy 3.6sl - Manufacturers and turbines - Online access - The Wind Power"
.
www.thewindpower.net
. Retrieved
2018-02-21
.
- ^
Bauer, Lucas.
"Alstom Haliade 150 - 6,00 MW - Wind turbine"
.
en.wind-turbine-models.com
. Retrieved
2018-02-21
.
- ^
"World's Largest Offshore Wind Turbine | Haliade-X | GE Renewable Energy"
.
www.ge.com
. Archived from
the original
on 2019-03-11
. Retrieved
2018-06-27
.
- ^
Vries, Eize de (1 May 2020).
"WindTech: Digital 15MW turbine offers help in scaling up"
.
www.windpowermonthly.com
.
Archived
from the original on 21 June 2020.
- ^
"GE Renewable Energy launches the uprated Haliade-X 13 MW wind turbine for the UK's Dogger Bank Wind Farm September 21, 2020"
.
GE
. General Electric
. Retrieved
23 September
2020
.
- ^
"GE Renewable Energy's Haliade-X prototype starts operating at 14 MW"
.
GE
. 5 October 2021.
Archived
from the original on 15 January 2022
. Retrieved
29 January
2022
.
- ^
"Wind and Water Power Program: Large Wind Technology"
. 2010-07-12. Archived from
the original
on 2010-07-12
. Retrieved
2018-02-21
.
- ^
Sofia (2022-07-29).
"GE Wind Turbines"
.
Lindy Energy
. Retrieved
2023-05-15
.
- ^
"Arklow Bank (Ireland) - Wind farms - Online access - The Wind Power"
.
www.thewindpower.net
. Retrieved
2018-02-21
.
- ^
"GE's Haliade-X receives typhoon certification from DNV"
.
www.windtech-international.com
. 7 May 2021.
- ^
"Hyundai Electric to build factory to produce Haliade-X offshore wind turbine"
.
Riviera
.
- ^
"GE says 600 MW Fantanele-Cogealac wind farm in Romania fully operational"
.
Renewablesnow.com
. Retrieved
2018-02-21
.
- ^
"GE and Green Investment Group to Deliver 650 MW of Onshore Wind to Sweden"
.
GE Newsroom
. 2017-11-07
. Retrieved
2018-02-21
.
- ^
"General Electric to debut world's largest wind turbine in UK"
Inhabitat, April 24, 2018
- ^
Vorrath, Sophie (7 February 2020).
"World's largest offshore wind turbine clocks new 24-hour generation record"
.
RenewEconomy
.
- ^
Radowitz, Bernd (5 October 2021).
"
'First turbine to run at 14MW': GE steps-up power rating at Haliade-X offshore prototype | Recharge"
.
Recharge | Latest renewable energy news
.
- ^
"GE's Haliade-X 13-MW giant picked for Dogger Bank offshore wind farm"
.
Renewablesnow.com
. Retrieved
2020-09-22
.
- ^
Ltd, Renews (2020-09-22).
"13MW Haliade-X confirmed for Dogger Bank A and B"
.
reNEWS - Renewable Energy News
. Retrieved
2020-09-22
.
- ^
"GE Renewable Energy launches the uprated Haliade-X 13 MW wind turbine for the UK's Dogger Bank Wind Farm | REVE News of the wind sector in Spain and in the world"
. Retrieved
2020-09-22
.
- ^
"GE's Haliade-X 14.7MW-220 obtains full DNV type certificate"
.
Riviera
.
External links
[
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]
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Successor companies*
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Former subsidiaries
and divisions
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Joint ventures/
shareholdings
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Products
and brands
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People
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Executives
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Outside directors
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Places and
facilities
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Sponsorship
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Other
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* Following corporate split-up from 2023 to 2024
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Wind power by state
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Large wind farms
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Offshore wind farms
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Wind power companies
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