By the year 2030, roughly 40% of worldwide investments in the power plant market will go into developing renewable energy sources.
While solar energy is expected to show the highest growth rate of over 28%, among the renewables, wind power is by far the most important energy source.
In a landmark innovation, Siemens has partnered with StatoilHydro to install the world’s first floating wind turbine, a Siemens SWT-2.3-82 with a rotor diameter of 82 metres and a 65 metre hub height.
Located approximately 12 km south east of Karmoy in Norway, the ‘Hywind’ turbine is suitable for water depths of between 120 and 700 metres and anchored to the seabed by wire, whereas other offshore wind turbines are firmly founded within the seabed.
“The Hywind turbine opens up a new world of opportunities for off-shore wind power, as the turbines could be placed much more freely than before” Mr Albert Goller, Siemens Ltd Chairman and Managing Director said.
“Because the turbine is constructed on a floating structure, the high costs associated with foundation works for fixed turbines at depths of more than 30 to 50 metres are eliminated, making this innovation the clear choice for countries that have been looking to establish large-scale offshore wind farms.
“Siemens constructed the world’s first off-shore wind farm 18 years ago, so it is no surprise that we are once again leading the way in innovating the latest technologies to meet the world’s energy challenges.”
Over the next two years, the Hywind turbine will be monitored by Siemens to further develop and improve the technology. The turbine will be connected to the local grid and is expected to provide power in mid-July.
In our region, Siemens renewable wind technology is already providing clean energy for some 28,000 homes in Wellington, New Zealand, with 27 Siemens turbines now connected to the grid at Meridian Energy’s West Wind farm.
“When all 62 Siemens turbines are connected, West Wind will have a capacity of 142 megawatts and power the equivalent of 70,000 homes in New Zealand – the equivalent of all homes within the boundaries of Wellington City and double the power provided by the average wind farm,” Mr Goller said.
Siemens is the market leader for offshore wind power generation, with more than 6,600 MW installed around the world. Siemens is also the number one for steam turbines and solar-thermal power plants. Through our equity stake in the Italian company Archimede Solar Energy, Siemens can also offer solar receivers and thus a further key component for the construction of solar power plants. By combining these two technologies we will enhance the efficiency of these plants and further reduce solar power production costs. In Australia, we are also currently trialling combined cycle gasification technology.
Our global Environmental Portfolio includes an extensive range of products and solutions to help protect the environment and tackle climate change. These innovations account for nearly 25% of our annual sales, and in 2007, amounted to around €17 billion - more than any competitor. In this same year, we helped our customers world-wide to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by 114 million metric tonnes, which is more than 20 times the level of CO2 that Siemens itself produces.
Siemens is the only company in the world that provides efficiency-enhancing and climate-friendly products, solutions and technologies across the full energy chain. Siemens offers a comprehensive range of systems and services for energy-efficient buildings, renewable energy technology such as wind turbines, and waste management and reduction.
From facilities and industrial applications requiring environmental control to gas, steam and wind turbines, low NOx burners and high and medium voltage applications, through to the greenest MRI machines, Siemens has the solutions to preserve our natural environment for future generations.