• 60 Hz versions of 3.4-130 and 3.4-137 expand GE’s North American wind portfolio
• New turbines provide flexibility for land-constrained areas and regions with complicated terrain
• Extends GE’s Digital Wind Farm capabilities to all 2 and 3 MW machines throughout North America.
GE Renewable Energy introduced a North American version of its new 3 MW wind turbine platform in advance of the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) WINDPOWER 2016 event in New Orleans. The turbine platform, which first debuted in Europe last November, now includes a new 60 Hz version of the 3.4 MW machine, with rotor diameter options of 130 or 137 meters.
This announcement follows the recent success of GE’s 2 MW wind platform, which was introduced a year ago at AWEA’s 2015 event. The new 2 MW machines began shipping late last year and recorded more than a gigawatt of U.S. orders in the first quarter of 2016.
Anne McEntee, President & CEO of GE’s Onshore Wind business, said “We were pleased to see strong orders when we launched our new 2 MW machines, and the addition of a 3 MW option gives our customers more flexibility for land-constrained areas and regions with complex geographies throughout North America. We now have a comprehensive technology portfolio capable of meeting a wide variety of wind conditions across the continent.”
The 3.4-130 model sits at a tower height of 85 meters, while the 3.4-137 climbs to 110 meters. The machines represent GE’s most powerful onshore wind turbines offered to date, with the 3.4-137 capable of providing up to 24 percent higher output1 than existing technology.
In addition, the new 3 MW machines feature the software analytics capabilities of GE’s Digital Wind Farm, which uses a virtual modeling system to enhance individual turbine configuration and site layout, aiming to capture more energy production from each site’s unique wind conditions. It is powered by the Predix* software platform, the foundation for all of GE’s Industrial Internet applications.
GE’s 3 MW turbines are configurable to meet IEC class IIIA, IIB and IIIB wind conditions.
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