GE Will Supply Turbines for Vietnamese Wind Farm
Innovation in the design of onshore wind turbines continues, with GE Renewable Energy announcing Dec. 28 that it will supply eight of the company’s 3 MW-137 turbines as part of the Phuoc Minh Wind Farm in Vietnam.
Monday’s announcement comes just days after Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) announced the largest deal ever for its 5.X platform turbines, which will be used at a site in Brazil.
GE Renewable Energy said its Vietnam contract includes supply and commissioning of the 27.2-MW Phuoc Minh installation, located in Ninh Thuan, in south-central Vietnam. It also includes a 10-year operations and maintenance agreement. A consortium that includes PowerChina Huadong Engineering Corp., Henste Engineering, and IPC Group will provide engineering, procurement, and construction services for the wind farm.
EPC Partner
“We are proud to announce this new deal in Vietnam with PowerChina, which cements our partnership in this growing market,” said Gilan Sabatier, regional leader for GE Renewable Energy’s Onshore Wind Business in South Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). ASEAN, headquartered in Indonesia, is a regional intergovernmental organization that includes 10 countries in Southeast Asia. The group supports promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic integration in the region.
“This is another step in supporting the rise of renewable energy in Vietnam and reinforces our commitment to serve the energy needs of the country,” said Sabatier. Vietnamese officials earlier this year said they want to more than double the country’s power generation capacity this decade, adding renewable energy while reducing the country’s dependence on coal-fired power.
‘Adaptable’ Turbine Platform
GE in a news release said the 3 MW turbine platform “is adaptable to a full spectrum of wind regimes. Our 3 MW turbines range from 3.2 to 3.8 MW power output, and the 3 MW-137 is one of highest performing turbines within the 3 MW portfolio.” GE said the Phuoc Minh installation “is expected to contribute in excess of 100 million kWh of electricity annually to the national grid once the project is fully operational by third quarter of 2021.”
GE’s 3 MW platform machines are three-blade, upwind, horizontal axis wind turbines with a rotor diameter ranging from 130 to 137 meters. The turbine rotor and nacelle are mounted on top of a tubular steel tower, with a range of hub height options that includes 85-, 110-, 131.4-, 134- and 164.5-meter variants.
The project announced Monday is the latest in Vietnam involving GE’s work with PowerChina, a long-term global EPC partner of GE. The companies in September said GE would supply 12 5MW-158 Cypress wind turbines for two 30-MW contracts for the Quoc Vinh Soc Trang and Lac Hoa Soc Trang wind projects, located in the Mekong Delta, with PowerChina serving as the EPC lead. Those projects also are expected to be fully operational by the third quarter of 2021.
Ha Do Van, director of Phuoc Minh Wind Power Company Ltd., said, “We have full faith in the two most experienced international companies—GE and PowerChina—and are confident the world’s leading manufacturer of wind turbines will ensure the success of our wind energy project.”
Siemens’ Project in Brazil
Siemens Gamesa on Dec. 23 announced that 75 of its SG 5.8-170 turbines would be used in the 465-MW São Vitor Wind Farm project in Brazil, which is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2022. The company said the deal is the “largest ever for the Siemens Gamesa 5.X platform and for the company in Brazil.” SGRE said the contract includes a service and maintenance agreement.
SGRE said its contract for the installation is with Essentia Energia, a Brazilian renewable energy platform of Patria Investments. The SG 5.8-170 turbine, which uses the company’s OptimaFlex technology, produces 6.2 MW of power. The São Vitor project is located in the state of Bahia.
The new contract is in addition to an earlier agreement for SGRE to supply its 5.X platform turbines to the 312-MW Tucano wind farm in Bahia. Siemens said the company has registered orders from more than 1.5 GW of generation from the 5.X platform.
—Darrell Proctor is associate editor for POWER (@POWERmagazine).