WindEnergy Hamburg – The global on- & offshore expo
at the Hamburg Fair site from 23 to 26 September 2014
Hamburg, 25 April 2014/ WEHH3
Innovations in wind technology now give substantial improvements in the use of onshore wind energy. There will be plenty of examples of that for the international trade visitors at WindEnergy Hamburg, from 23 to 26 September 2014, when leading suppliers from all parts of the world present their latest developments at the number one global wind industry event. These developments increase the efficiency of power generation even in areas with less wind or with extreme climates. That makes more and more inland locations suitable for wind turbines. WindEnergy Hamburg gives the global industry the optimal platform for dialogue and presentation of their innovations and their new technologies and services. WindEnergy Hamburg reflects the whole of the value chain. More than 1,000 exhibitors are expected at the Hamburg Fair site for the premiere in September.
Onshore wind turbines generating a total output of some 314,000 MW were installed worldwide by the end of 2013. They account for some 98% of the world’s wind energy. A further 250,100 MW will go on line in the next five years according to the forecast by BTM Wind Report by NavigantResearch, about 89.6% of that using onshore turbines. Nearly one third of wind energy will come from turbines which are no longer covered by guarantees. That makes maintenance and service more and more significant in future for wind energy manufacturers and service providers. Some of the turbines in wind pioneering countries such as Germany and Denmark are more than ten years old, so repowering will become increasingly important in the future.
“Technological progress has made it possible to develop new locations worldwide for wind farms. There is also a global trend towards ever larger and more powerful wind turbines,” says Christian Schnibbe, spokesman for wpd onshore, a project developer exhibiting at WindEnergy Hamburg. Innovations in plant construction are accompanied by higher rated output, larger rotors and higher towers. Rated outputs up to 3 MW with rotor diameters up to about 128 metres and hub heights up to about 150 metres are not unusual today in the medium- and low-wind areas. That makes wind energy economically viable in areas with medium (ICE 2) and low wind speeds (ICE 3).
Felix Losada, spokesman of Nordex SE, an onshore specialist exhibiting at WindEnergy Hamburg, says “The N131/3000, the latest generation of our low-wind turbines, can generate up to 28.6% more power compared with the previous model. That is an important step in further reduction of energy generating costs.” The N131/3000 was designed for the maximum number of full-load hours, so that lower-cost generators can be used with large swept areas, operating with low specific output of 240 kW per square metre. Nordex also uses a rotor blade concept with an internal structure made of carbon, making the blades lighter overall.
Turbines are also turning more and more often above the treetops in forests, for example in Sweden and in Southern Germany. That is possible thanks to higher towers, and mastery of the specific logistic requirements. A vital element in acceptance of wind turbines in forest areas is that they should require minimum clearance on the approach roads and for construction. Enercon, a leading manufacturer of onshore wind energy turbines in the German market, has responded to this by designing a split rotor blade. The split rotor blade concept with a blade profile is optimised for the power output and particularly suitable where there is little space available.
Special solutions for locations with extreme climate conditions are also presented by manufacturers at WindEnergy Hamburg. For example Senvion SE is displaying its turbines adapted for operation at temperatures up to 40° Celsius – they are fitted with additional ventilation units, to protect the inverters in particular from overheating. The cold-climate version (down to minus 30°C) is fitted with heating elements to keep the key aerodynamic areas of the rotor blades ice-free. Such modifications ensure dependable yield and maximum availability for nearly all climate zones.
The use of onshore wind energy will continue its positive development, so leading international plant manufacturers believe. “Improvements in wind turbine technology and reduction in operating and maintenance expenses have reduced costs, making wind power competitive in some markets even without feed-in tariffs set by government,” says Roland Schanze, a Director of exhibitor and project developer WKN. The company sees innovations such as low-wind turbines as particularly beneficial for countries rich in forests such as Sweden, where the WKN Group has been active for many years. Roland Schanze also sees good potential in South Africa. Which onshore markets will be most important in the coming years depends not least on the conditions set by national policy makers. In Germany, despite the energy transition, new installation of wind power on shore could be limited to 2,500 MW per annum.
Information on state-of-the-art technology for onshore plant will be provided by numerous project designers, suppliers and manufacturers at WindEnergy Hamburg. Siemens, for example, is currently delivering 17 direct-drive 3 MW turbines for a wind farm on the North West coast of Japan. Gamesa, a manufacturer that has now installed a 5 MW onshore prototype in Alaiz, Spain, and will install three of these turbines in cold-climate version in Salo, Southern Finland, before the end of this year.
WindEnergy Hamburg
The leading international wind industry exhibition will be held in Hamburg from 23 to 26 September 2014. WindEnergy Hamburg expects more than 1,000 exhibitors from all parts of the world. This leading international fair for the onshore and offshore wind industry will be held at the Hamburg Fair site every two years. H2Expo, dedicated to energy storage solutions, is integrated in WindEnergy Hamburg. In addition, the wind exhibition with a focus on the national market will be held in Husum from 15 to 18 September 2015. HUSUM Wind will likewise be held every second year (odd-numbered years). With its location in the pioneering wind energy area of the German North Sea coast, this traditional meeting point will provide in-depth exchanges within the industry, and generate practical value added. For more information, please visit windenergyhamburg.com and husumwind.com
