Siemens Gamesa tailors 8MW for US

UNITED STATES: Following its decision to produce an Asia-Pacific version, Siemens Gamesa (SGRE) has now said it will adapt its latest 8MW turbine for the US market.

Siemens Gamesa's SG 8.0-167 DD has a rated capacity of 8MW and a rotor with a diameter of 167 metres

The manufacturer will tune the turbine’s electrical systems to accommodate US federal codes and standards for hurricanes, seismic activity and 60-Hertz frequency requirements.

SGRE claimed by 2020 the model will meet the full range of technical conditions off the US’ east and west coasts and in its Great Lakes.

The US version of the SG 8.0-167 DD will be available for installation by 2021, Siemens Gamesa added.

It was unveiled at the WindEurope 2017 conference in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and has since been ordered for projects off the coasts of Denmark, France, Taiwan, and the UK.

Siemens Gamesa announced an adaptation for Asia-Pacific markets in September.

Steve Dayney, Siemens Gamesa’s head of US offshore sales and projects, claimed the company’s onshore and service units could be leveraged "to meet the demands of the rapidly growing US offshore market".

Siemens Gamesa is in line to provide two 6MW turbines for an offshore demonstration project off the coast of Virginia.

The US has just the one operational offshore wind farm: the five-turbine, 30MW Block Island project off the coast of Rhode Island.

Other states, including Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, have allocated grid capacity for future projects.