Siemens receives second order for direct drive wind turbines in the U.S.

“With the SWT-3.0-101 direct drive wind turbine, our customers like Minnesota Power get an innovative and high-quality product from a partner whom they can trust. This game-changing wind turbine is a reliable investment in the future of power generation,” said Jens-Peter Saul, CEO of the Siemens Wind Power Business Unit. This wind energy order from Minnesota Power is the second order for Siemens direct drive wind turbines in the U.S. Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) purchased three SWT-3.0-101 wind turbines for the Crossroads wind power plant in August 2010.

The scope of supply for the Bison 1B wind farm includes the transportation, erection and commissioning of the 15 direct drive wind turbines. Minnesota Power had originally ordered 33 SWT-2.3-101 wind turbines for the two phases of the Bison 1 wind farm, Bison 1A and 1B. The 16 SWT-2.3-101 wind turbines at Bison 1A wind farm are presently being installed and the 15 SWT-3.0-101 direct drive wind turbines for Bison 1B wind farm will be delivered in August 2011.

“We’re very excited to apply this leading-edge direct drive technology to capture more of the already superior North Dakota wind resources,” said Eric Norberg, Minnesota Power Senior Vice President of Strategy and Planning. “Our customers will benefit from the additional energy production for many years. We’re pleased to partner with Siemens in this leading application of the direct drive wind turbine in North America.”

The SWT-3.0-101 direct drive wind turbine with a rated power of 3 MW and a rotor diameter of 101 meters offers innovation through a completely new direct drive concept, introducing a permanent magnet generator. Compared to a standard wind turbine with gearboxes, Siemens has reduced the number of parts in the wind turbine by half. With fewer moving parts, the direct drive technology has the potential to significantly reduce maintenance time, which could result in even higher turbine availability.

Wind power is part of Siemens’ Environmental Portfolio. In fiscal 2010, revenue from the Portfolio totaled about €28 billion, making Siemens the world’s largest supplier of ecofriendly technologies. In the same period, our products and solutions enabled customers to reduce their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 270 million tons, an amount equal to the total annual CO2 emissions of the megacities Hong Kong, London, New York, Tokyo, Delhi and Singapore.

www.siemens.com/energy