The Siemens SWT-2.3-120, which premiered at AWEA Windpower 2015 in Orlando, Florida, US, is the first wind turbine designed by Siemens to specifically meet the demands of its North and South American customers. The powerful new turbine features a 120-meter rotor, enabling it to achieve an industry-leading capacity factor. It is the next step in the evolution of Siemens’ proven G2 product platform – one of the bestselling product lines in wind turbine history. Serial production of the SWT-2.3-120 will commence in the US in 2017.

The SWT-2.3-120 is latest addition to the proven G2 product platform and features evolutionary improvements designed to deliver greater returns for customers in the Americas markets.

The product was developed with an eye toward increasing energy production for sites with medium to low wind conditions, which are prevalent in markets within the Americas region. It employs advanced technology including a newly-developed 59-meter long rotor blade, which has been optimised for enhanced production at medium to low wind speeds, while also reducing weights and loads for decreased wear and tear. Siemens’ blade factory in Fort Madison, Iowa, and Siemens aerodynamic engineering centre in Boulder, Colorado, were heavily involved in the development of the refined product and its aeroelastically tailored blade.

The drive train has been optimised to deliver maximum energy capture in medium to low wind conditions. At wind speeds ranging from 6 to 8.5 m per second, the Siemens SWT-2.3-120 can yield an increase of nearly 10 per cent in AEP compared to its predecessor, the SWT-2.3-108. The results are higher returns and a significant decrease in the projected levelised cost of energy (LCoE). The product design also incorporates several added safety and operational benefits related to the service and maintenance of the turbines, including increased accessibility of key components and access to the weather station from inside the nacelle.