GE Renewable Energy has secured a 27.2 MW contract to supply 8 units of GE’s 3 MW-137 wind turbines to support construction of the Phuoc Minh Wind Farm, located in Ninh Thuan, in the South Central Region of Vietnam.

A consortium of PowerChina Huadong Engineering Corporation, Henste Engineering and IPC Group will provide full Engineering, Procurement and Construction services for the project.

The 3 MW turbine platform offers more flexibility across wind regimes. GE’s 3 MW onshore wind turbine platform is adaptable to a full spectrum of wind regimes. The 3 MW turbines range from 3.2 to 3.8 MW power output, and the 3 MW-137 is one of highest performing turbines within the 3 MW portfolio.

Cappadona: committed to a circular economy

The wind farm is expected to contribute in excess of 100 million kWh of electricity annually to the national grid once the project is fully operational by third quarter of 2021.

This is another addition to the partnership in Vietnam with PowerChina Huadong Engineering Corporation, a long-term global EPC partner of GE. This partnership signifies the successful collaboration of the two companies in EPC projects bringing innovative and challenging renewable efforts to advance wind energy in Vietnam and across the globe.

Gilan Sabatier, Regional Leader for GE Renewable Energy’s Onshore Wind Business in South Asia and ASEAN said, "This is another step in supporting the rise of renewable energy in Vietnam and reinforces our commitment to serve the energy needs of the country.

“These new project commitments add to the already sizeable project backlog for us in Vietnam and position us as one of the leading technology providers in the country.”

Ha Do Van, Director of Phuoc Minh Wind Power Company Ltd said: “We have full faith in the two most experienced international companies – GE and PowerChina and are confident the world’s leading manufacturer of wind turbines will ensure the success of our Wind Energy project.”

blade recycling contract

Earlier, the company said that it has signed a multi-year agreement with Veolia North America (VNA) to recycle blades removed from its US-based onshore turbines during upgrades and repowering efforts. Through this agreement, GE plans to recycle the majority of blades that are replaced during repowering efforts.

Veolia will process the blades for use as a raw material for cement, utilising a cement kiln co-processing technology. VNA has a successful history of supplying repurposed engineered materials to the cement industry. Similar recycling processes in Europe have been proven to be effective at a commercial scale.

As part of the agreement, blades that have been removed from turbines will be shredded at VNA’s processing facility and then used as a replacement for coal, sand and clay at cement manufacturing facilities across the US. On average, nearly 90 per cent of the blade material, by weight, will be reused as a repurposed engineered material for cement production. More than 65 per cent of the blade weight replaces raw materials that would otherwise be added to the kiln to create the cement, and about 28 per cent of the blade weight provides energy for the chemical reaction that takes place in the kiln.

Anne McEntee, CEO of GE Renewable Energy’s Digital Services business, said: “Sustainable disposal of composites such as wind turbine blades has been a challenge, not only for the wind turbine industry, but also for aerospace, maritime, automotive and construction industries. VNA’s offering provides the opportunity to scale up and deploy quickly in North America, with minimum disruption to customers. We look forward to working with them to create a circular economy for composite materials.”

Wind turbine blades may be replaced through turbine improvement or ‘repowering’ efforts, when specific elements of the turbine are upgraded to improve the efficiency and lifespan of the turbine, without replacing the entire machine. Longer, lighter blades help the turbine to generate more energy, providing more renewable energy to their end customers.

Bob Cappadona, COO for VNA’s Environmental Solutions and Services division, said: “By adding wind turbine blades to replace raw materials for cement manufacturing, we are reducing the amount of coal, sand and minerals that are needed to produce the cement, ultimately resulting in greener cement that can be used for a variety of products.”

“Last summer we completed a trial using a GE blade, and we were very happy with the results. This fall we have processed more than 100 blades so far, and our customers have been very pleased with the product. Wind turbine blade repurposing is another example of Veolia’s commitment to a circular economy in which sustainability and economic growth go hand in hand,” he added.