Part of the ACCIONA group, ACCIONA Windpower North America specializes in the design, manufacture, field assembly and marketing of wind turbines using proprietary technology. The company has positioned itself among the world’s top wind turbine manufacturers, and produces turbines of 1500 kW and 3000 kW rated power, of which it has assembled over 3500 MW. Today, AW wind turbines are to be found in more than 75 wind parks in 12 countries on four continents. We were delighted to catch up with Joe Baker, CEO of the company…
Q:PES: Last year ACCIONA announced the AW3000/116 wind turbine at AWEA’s annual conference. Why is this new turbine so significant?
AJoe Baker: The AW3000/116 is particularly relevant because of its industry-leading 116-meter rotor diameter which essentially allows the turbine to make more use of the wind resource, and although the turbine works well in almost any site, it is a game changer for IEC Class IIa sites where it is now, arguably, the best in class turbine.
This wind turbine delivers a leading power curve and the best cost of energy at sites with medium wind speeds, or sites with limited parcels for installing wind turbines, making it very compelling for project owners developing projects of these types.
PES: Q: Are there any other key differentiators of the AW3000?
AJB: The AW3000 is a scaled version of the reliable AW1500, which includes features such as double-bearing support of the main shaft, 12kV generation, 6-pole generators, and other robust features to lower operations and maintenance costs over the long term. As with the AW1500, the AW3000 has concrete tower options including a tall 120-meter option for accessing better wind resources.
