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Siemens Gamesa awards UL new contracts for wind turbine certification
Siemens Gamesa awards UL new contracts for wind turbine certification
(Photo courtesy of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy.)

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has selected UL (Underwriters Laboratories) for the provision of inspection and certification services for the company’s most advanced turbine designs.

UL will inspect Siemens Gamesa’s new 5.X onshore platform, the SG5.8-170 and SG5.8-155 wind turbines with a capacity of 5.8MW and rotor diameters of 170 and 155 meters — representing some of the largest turbines in the global onshore wind industry. 

The inspection services will include checking the electrical characteristics of wind turbines to assess their reliability and safety in generating electricity. UL will assess the compatibility of Siemens Gamesa’s wind turbines with certification and grid codes for the Spanish, German and UK markets.

Certification and compliance with the standards will enable Siemens Gamesa to deploy its turbines across the markets and Europe, according to a statement.

The certification will also allow Siemens Gamesa to launch its new 5.X onshore platform worldwide.

Kai Grigutsch, head of wind certification for UL, said: “Confirming that new turbine technologies can support the power grid while optimising energy production is crucial to accelerating the development of wind farms and Europe’s green energy transition.”

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The wind energy sector has been expanding rapidly over the past decade ender efforts by governments and utilities to decarbonise power generation and economies. However, the pandemic has to some extent disturbed the growth in 2020 and 2021 due to disruptions in the supply chains of equipment.

Trade tensions between the US/Europe and China have also caused delays on rollout, as well as factors including the lack of adequate funding and lack of appetite by other utilities and governments to invest in green technologies.

This has resulted in the establishment of regional mechanisms and regulations such as Fit for 55, Joe Biden’s 2030 wind energy target and the establishment of GWEC’s Africa WindPower to help move the energy transition agenda ahead. Technology companies have also embarked on the development of innovative wind technologies to enhance the generation capacity of projects.

Irene Alli Oños, head of SG5.X Certification at SGRE, added: “We needed a trustworthy strategic supplier that could help us efficiently to certify our latest turbine design platform for international deployment and to support our customers.

“Our collaboration with UL will enable us to swiftly meet market-specific certification requirements.”