In February this year the Nordex Group installed a 3 MW turbine on a 134 metre tubular steel tower in a test field operated by windtest grevenbroich gmbh for GP Joule, a project developer. Prior to this the manufacturer had always installed its turbines with hub heights in excess of 120 metres in continental Europe on hybrid towers – a combination of concrete and tubular steel towers. The reason for this is that for very high hub heights the diameter of a conventional lower tubular steel segment would be more than 4.30 metres, which would make it impossible to transport them under bridges. The diameter of the lower segment of the new tower is exactly 4.30 metres, which solved the bottleneck problem.
The aim of the new tower concept is to extend the know-how and experience with respect to high towers as an alternative to the use of hybrid towers. The results of the latest tests conducted already confirm that the tubular steel tower is perfectly suitable, also given the 20-year service life of the turbine. From the middle of next year this tower technology will initially be available for international markets for the recently launched N131/3600 and N131/3900 wind turbine generators. A further factor is that the new tower option once again reduces the cost of energy for the Nordex turbine fleet
The site of the project is located in North-Rhine Westphalia, in the Grevenbroich wind test field operated by windtest grevenbroich gmbh. For Nordex this test field has a historic importance. This was where, in the year 2000, the company installed and commissioned the world’s first multi-megawatt machine, the N80/2500.
GP JOULE founder and CEO Ove Petersen is also pleased with the commissioning of the turbine: “We are very happy that GP JOULE was able to successfully complete the planning and construction of the 3 MW turbine on the Grevenbroich wind test field. This is now the second collaboration with Nordex in the context of planning, installing and operating a new type of turbine on a wind test field. Of course, we are particularly pleased that GP JOULE will now also take charge of managing operation of the turbine.”
The first light-wind turbine from Nordex, the N131/3600, was installed by GP JOULE on the Windtestfeld Nord in the Südermarsch, near Husum. “The fact that Nordex has again placed its trust in GP JOULE for the Grevenbroich project shows that the expertise of our company in planning and implementing complex problems is perceived and respected in the market – also by prestigious industrial companies such as Nordex,” Petersen continues.
The Group has installed more than 21 GW of wind energy capacity in over 25 markets and in 2016 generated revenues of EUR 3.4 billion. The company currently employs a workforce of approx. 5,000. The joint manufacturing capacity includes factories in Germany, Spain, Brazil, the United States and India. The product portfolio is focused on onshore turbines in the 1.5 to 3.9 MW class, which are tailor-made for the market requirements in developed and emerging markets.
Windtest grevenbroich gmbh (wtg) – a profile
Founded in 1996 and now an internationally accredited provider of measuring services according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005, wtg offers the full range of services for measurements in the wind industry sector. Starting with site and yield reports, these include load, power performance, strain, sound source and noise emission measurement as well as LVRT/HVRT measurements.
The N131/3600 is the 18th turbine to measured on the test field in GV. wtg also operates a LIDAR verification station with a 134 metre mast on the test field in Grevenbroich.
GP JOULE is a universal and innovative partner for commercial enterprises, local communities as well as investors in all areas of renewable energies. Under the motto “TRUST YOUR ENERGY” and driven by the belief that energy supply can be covered 100% by renewable energy, the company develops, plans and realises energy and operation projects for the future-oriented and intelligent use of sun, wind, biomass and energy storage. In its own R&D division, the company develops cross-sector utilisation and customisation concepts for renewable energies, including Power-to-Gas or municipal heat supply. With the CONNECT business area launched in 2016, GP JOULE is expanding its range with intelligent e-mobility supply and infrastructure solutions as well as its own green energy product which will enable companies to generate their own electricity after the relevant regulation has come into force. GP JOULE operates five sites in northern and southern Germany as well as two international sites in the USA and Canada.
