Power equipment manufacturer Siemens has won an order to supply, install and commission 24 direct-drive wind turbines for four wind projects in the Nord Pas-de-Calais and Picardie regions in northern France.
According to the contract, Siemens will supply the model SWT-3.0-101 wind turbine, each having a capacity of 3MW and a rotor diametre of 101m.
The contract also includes maintenance of the wind turbines for a period of 15 years, while erection and commissioning are scheduled for 2014.
Diamond Generating Europe (DGE) and the French renewable energy company EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN) have a 50% stake each in the four wind projects.
Siemens Wind Power Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) sales region CEO Jan Kjaersgaard said compared to conventional wind turbine technology, the company’s direct-drive wind turbine has half the components and substantially fewer rotating parts.
"This enhances reliability and reduces the maintenance scope for the plants. We are pleased to be installing this future-oriented technology for the first time onshore in France," Kjaersgaard said.
The French Government plans to install a total of 25GW of wind power by 2020, of which 7.5GW was already in place at the end of 2012.
Image: Siemens direct-drive wind turbines for France: 24 SWT-3.0-101 with a total capacity of 72MW have been ordered for four onshore windfarms. Photo: courtesy of Siemens.
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