In addition to further development of its wind turbines, the company is advancing the efficiency of turbine-to-grid connections and creating new offshore logistics concepts for turbine maintenance. The company will also be introducing innovative service practices that improve the economics of offshore wind turbine operation.
From 2020 onward, Siemens intends to offer technologies that incorporate optimised foundation technologies and also allow offshore wind power to be produced on a LCOE (levelised cost of energy) level of below 10 euro cents per kilowatt hour. Several advancements made by the company will help it to achieve this goal, including the evolution of a new offshore wind turbine that provides greater customer value while simultaneously reducing offshore project risk.
The company will also be addressing the issue of how best to transport generated power to shore. High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) offshore substations can now be replaced by the new Siemens Grid Access Solution in AC technology. This acts as a distributed transmission asset in the sense that the removal of a number of optional ancillary systems in favour of core electrical equipment means that the module is now light enough to be mounted on the same foundation as a turbine, or independently. This reduces its size, weight and costs while improving flexibility.
Siemens will also present cost-reducing concepts for operating offshore wind power facilities, such as a new overall logistics concept in the form of specialised ships called Service Operation Vessels (SOV). These enable maintenance technicians to be available on site for weeks at a time as well as allowing them to safely access turbines in rough seas. Less time spent in travelling to and from shore enables maintenance operations to become more efficient thereby significantly increasing turbine availability.
The company will presenting these innovations at Stand E-D31 in the exhibition’s Hall E from March 10th to 12th, 2015.
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