World Wind Watch | Green Energy News

August 7, 2005 – Vol.10 No.20

WORLD WIND WATCH.

Because of their length - 100 feet and up - individual turbine blades for megawatt class turbines are difficult to transport (read expensive) thus they are often manufactured close to wind farms to reduce costs.

Because of their simplicity and relatively low cost, sections for turbine towers - hollow metal tubes - are also often manufactured near wind farms. Local companies that are familiar with building steel tubular products, like tanks or large pipes, can be contracted to build tower sections. Again, local manufacturing can mean reduced shipping costs.

However, the more expensive parts - hubs, gear boxes, generators etc. - that require more complex manufacturing technologies can be built a great distance away to take advantage of low skilled-labor costs.

Those are some of the reasons why Indian wind turbine manufacturer Suzlon Energy has decided to split its $74 million investment in turbine manufacturing facilities between the U.S. and China.

The new U.S. facility will build tower sections and blades while the Chinese facility will build complete wind turbines ready for installation.

Suzlon, too, has plans to build a new facility in India to manufacture wind turbine parts such as rotor shafts, gear rims and tower flanges.

Like most finished products these days, component parts for wind turbines may come from all corners of the earth. Visit Suzlon at http://www.suzlon.com/

Sustainable Energy Technologies of Canada will also be benefiting from China’s low costs to advance the development and commercialization of its 250 kilowatt Chinook 250 wind turbine.

The company has signed a memorandum of understanding with the China Renewable Energy Technologies Delegation for joint work on the vertical axis, Darrieus-type (egg beater) turbine. The turbine is being developed for use in remote locations and for developing countries where it can be integrated with diesel powered microgrids to save fuel. Visit Sustainable Energy at http://www.sustainableenergy.com/ .