Gamesa working with DOE on wind energy development

The agreement calls for Gamesa, which is based in Spain but has its North American headquarters in Langhorne, Pa., to work with the NREL on three programs: developing new components and rotors for the U.S. wind farm market; researching and testing the performance of new wind turbine control systems; and developing methods for predicting the behavior of offshore wind turbines to speed development of wind farms in U.S. coastal waters.

The tests will be conducted using a G97 Class IIIA 2 megawatt test wind turbines that Gamesa has installed at the NREL’s National Wind Technology Center near Boulder, Colorado. That model wind turbine is designed for low-wind sites, which Gamesa expects will comprise more than half the locations of wind turbines built on land in the future. Gamesa and the NREL will begin full testing on all three programs this month.

"Wind energy is going to continue to play a key role in creating a stronger and more sustainable American economy," Miguel Angel Gonzalez-Posada, vice president of technology for Gamesa North America, said in a statement. "This partnership is an exciting venture that showcases Gamesa’s commitment to enhanced clean energy development, as well as our drive to deliver the most reliable, efficient and cost-effective wind turbine technologies to the U.S. marketplace."

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