Background
GE Renewable Energy today unveiled its plan to develop the largest, most powerful offshore wind turbine: the Haliade-X. Featuring a 12 MW direct drive generator and an industry leading gross capacity factor of 63 percent the Haliade-X will produce 45 percent more energy than any other offshore turbine available today. GE will invest more than $400 million over the next three to five years in development and deployment of the Haliade-X.
GE continues to structure the renewable energy sector in France
The GE Renewable Energy sites in Nantes, Saint-Nazaire and Cherbourg will play a leading role in the development, engineering and production of this turbine.
GE will invest nearly $ 60 million over the next five years in the modernization of its Saint-Nazaire factory, where the Haliade-X nacelle will be produced. The site, which employs 400 people, has already assembled wind turbines for the first wind farm in the United States (Block Island), or the production of nacelle for the Xinghua Gulf project in China. Saint-Nazaire is currently building 66 aerial work platforms for the Merkur wind farm in Germany.
In addition, nearly $ 100 million will be invested in the LM Wind Power factory in Cherbourg which will manufacture the blades of the Haliade-X 12MW, the longest ever manufactured, with 107 meters long. This factory, which will open in 2018, will eventually create more than 550 direct jobs and 2,000 indirect jobs. These recruitments have already begun in the regional basin.
Additional investments related to engineering, development, prototype manufacturing and supply chain will be made in the next 5 years in France.
GE Renewable Energy plans to install the first demonstration nacelle in the second quarter of 2019, and to begin delivery of the turbine by 2021.
“We are extremely proud to ensure the development of the largest wind turbine in the world from France. The Haliade-X 12 MW will reduce the costs of offshore wind, positioning our customers to win in an increasingly competitive environment. This is very good news for the French renewable energy industry. This project marks a new stage in GE’s long-term investment in the region and its commitment to the offshore wind business. With the Haliade-X 12 MW, we are building the industry of the future and we do it from France, thanks to the expertise and know-how of our teams and partners. “Says Jérôme Pécresse, CEO of GE Renewable Energy.
By 2019, thanks to its numerous partnerships, GE Renewable Energy’s offshore wind business will have contributed to the creation of more than 3,000 indirect jobs. GE is planning to develop a pool of French skills of excellence, with an international reputation.
The launch of the Haliade-X 12 MW is therefore another major step in the structuring of the renewable energy sector in France. GE shares the objectives of the French State and, in line with COP21, strives to contribute fully to the global energy transition.
GE innovates to offer the best possible products for its customers
With a projected growth of 17 to over 100 GW in the next 12 years, the offshore wind market is expanding. It will represent 20% of the global wind market in the short term. Thanks to the technology breakthrough achieved by the 12 MW Haliade-X, GE Renewable Energy will enable its customers to continue to lower the cost of this energy source.
At a height of 260 meters, the new Haliade-X 12 MW turbine will consist of a 220-meter rotor, 107-meter long blades and a wingspan of 17,000 m2. It will be 30% larger than its competitors and will develop a new production capacity. These features, which make the Haliade-X less sensitive to wind speed variations, should give it an increased load factor of 63%, which is 5 to 7 points above the turbines currently available on the market.
In total, a Haliade-X 12MW will be able to produce 67GWh of electricity per year, enough renewable energy to supply 16,000 European households*.
* based on a German offshore wind farm located in the North Sea
About GE Renewable Energy:
GE Renewable Energy, the GE Group’s new leading division with $ 10 billion in sales, combines one of the most comprehensive and diversified lines of renewable energy technologies and one of the broadest capabilities in the world. “all-in-one “industry.
Our current product portfolio includes onshore and onshore wind generation, hydropower and other renewable energy solutions, from individual components to turnkey power plants, with services ranging from design to development, from the supply of turbines and components to the construction of power plants as well as from operation to maintenance. GE Renewable Energy now has an installed capacity of more than 400 GW worldwide.
GE Renewable Energy, headquartered in France, has more than 22,000 employees in 55 countries, including more than 1,500 in France.
Photo credit: GE Renewable energy