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GE acquires ScanWind to enhance wind energy capacity
By siliconindia
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Tuesday, 15 September 2009, 18:29 IST
Bangalore: In order to boost its wind energy generation, General Electric (GE) has acquired the direct-drive wind turbine components maker ScanWind. The acquisition of the Norway-based company was valued at $18.5 million, reports CNET News.
ScanWind makes a drive train that eliminates the need for a gear box in a wind turbine. Direct drive turbines typically add cost to turbines, but they are gaining use in small turbines and other places where low maintenance is required. ScanWind has a design center in Karlstad, Sweden and is now testing 11 turbines off the Norwegian coast.
GE invested in the technology specifically for use in offshore wind turbines. "Reliability is particularly important for the growth of the offshore wind industry, where project economics are strongly affected by turbine design and reliability," said Vic Abate, Vice President of Renewable Energy at GE Energy.
Citing industry estimates, GE said that offshore wind is projected to grow from an installed base of 1.5 gigawatts (GW) in 2008 to 30 GW by 2020, driven by European renewable energy mandates and falling wind power prices. A typical nuclear or coal power plant has a generating capacity of about one GW, or 1,000 megawatts.
