Chinese Manufacturer’s Subsidiary Announces 3 Megawatt Smart Wind Turbine Prototype In Texas/RNN

The international side of the renewable business continues to boom, with amazing leadership, on solar and wind, coming out of China.  This dove tails well with the story we ran yesterday on ISO's garnering more and more of their power for utility co's coming from local sources--like this wind farm.

Again, good news on the technology, energy, environment and economy sides.

Goldwind Americas, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co., Ltd., announced  that it has completed the installation of its GW 3MW(S) Smart Wind Turbine test unit at the UL Advanced Wind Turbine Test Facility located at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. The scalable 3-megawatt test turbine has an assembled hub height of 130 meters and a blade tip height of 199.2 meters, making it the tallest wind turbine in the United States.

Developed by Goldwind, the onshore GW 3MW(S) prototype features scalable rated capacity of up to 3.57 MW and a rotor diameter of 136 meters. The platform’s structured design maintains Goldwind’s Permanent Magnet Direct Drive (PMDD) turbine technology and incorporates attributes from the GW 1.5 and GW 2.5 MW platforms, including industry-leading availability and performance. Goldwind utilized LM Windpower for the supply of the blades and Broadwind Energy for the supply of tower components, all of which were transported by Anderson Trucking Service. Wanzek Construction, based out of West Fargo, ND, led the project’s construction.

“The installation of Goldwind’s 3S prototype serves as an important milestone for Goldwind Americas and its global strategy to commercialize Goldwind’s turbine technology in the U.S. and abroad. The scalable 3-megawatt wind turbine, named Best in Class by Windpower Monthly, underscores Goldwind’s dedication to the continuous innovation of its product offerings,” says David Sale, chief executive officer of Goldwind Americas.

The GW 3MW(S) features Scalable capacity, Smart turbine controls, and a Structured design. It was officially launched in October 2016 at the China Windpower Exhibition, with the first prototype in China grid-connected in January 2017 in Zhangbei Grassland, Hebei Province, China.

Reinhard Sander, vice president of engineering and technology for Goldwind Americas adds, “The newest model in Goldwind’s portfolio of turbines continues to push the technology envelope and define what is possible in the wind industry. This allows our customers to maximize project economics with a larger nameplate design at a greater hub height, while benefiting from the scalability and adaptability of the 3 MW-plus platform.”

This is the first prototype Goldwind has installed and tested outside of its headquarters in China. The U.S.-based prototype will be fully commissioned and testing will commence by May 2018.

To learn more about Goldwind’s 3MW(S) Smart Wind turbine, visit goldwindamericas.com/GW3S.