ENERCON Magazine for wind energy Issue 01 | 2008 WINDBLATT www.enercon.de
MTA AURICH ENERCON increases vertical integration in Aurich Page 6
INTERNATIONAL ENEOP3: First rotor blades roll out of Viana production plant Page 8
TECHNOLOGY Study on detection systems: Options for reducing obstruction lights Page 10
PRACTICE Energiequelle: Commitment to renewables since 1997 Page 12
INTERVIEW Michael Schirmer: Reinforce dikes and protect the climate! Page 16 INTERNATIONAL SALES OFFICES Page 3 Editorial ENERCON GMBH, INTERNATIONAL DEPT. Otto-Lilienthal-Str. 25 · 28199 Bremen · Germany Phone +49 421 2441 520 · Fax +49 421 2441539 e-mail: [email protected] ENERCON News AUSTRIA Page 4 News from the ENERCON world ENERCON Austria Ges.mbH · Hauptstrasse 19 2120 Wolkersdorf · AUSTRIA · Phone +43 2245 82828 Fax +43 2245 82838 · e-mail: [email protected] Title Story BENELUX ENERCON Benelux BV · Paxtonstraat 1 a Page 6 MTA Metalltechnologie Aurich GmbH: 8013 RP Zwolle · THE NETHERLANDS Phone +31 38 4228 282 · Fax +31 38 4228 010 ENERCON increases vertical e-mail: [email protected]
BRAZIL integration in Aurich Wobben Windpower Ltda. Av. Fernando Stecca nº 100 · Distrito Industrial CEP 18087450 Sorocaba · São Paulo · BRAZIL Phone +55 15 2101 1700 · Fax +55 15 2101 1701 International e-mail: [email protected] Page 8 ENERCON Eolicas de Portugal CANADA Michael Weidemann · ENERCON GmbH (ENEOP3): First rotor blades roll out of International Sales Department Oesterweg 9 · 59469 Ense · GERMANY Viana production plant Phone +49 2938 9720 17 · Fax +49 2938 9720 49 e-mail: [email protected] DENMARK Technology ENERCON Denmark Bredkær Parkvej 62 · 8250 Egaa · DENMARK Page 10 Study on detection systems: Phone +45 87 430 388 · Fax +45 87 430 344 e-mail: [email protected] Options for reducing obstruction FRANCE ENERCON GmbH bureau français lights 1, rue des Longues Raies · ZAC des Longues Raies F-60610 La Croix Saint Ouen · France Phone +33 3 44 83 67 20 · Fax + 33 3 44 83 67 29 Practice GREECE ENERCON Hellas S.A. Page 12 Energiequelle: Commitment to 20, Pentelis Avenue · 15235 Vrilissia, Athens · GREECE Phone +30 210 6838 490 · Fax +30 210 6838 489 renewables since 1997 e-mail: [email protected]
INDIA ENERCON India Ltd. Supplier Kolsite House, Plot No. 31 · Shah Industrial Estate Veera Desai Road, Andheri (West) Page 14 Rothe Erde: Heavy duty roller Mumbai 400 053 · INDIA Phone +91 22 569 248 48 · Fax +91 22 267 300 85 e-mail: [email protected] bearings for wind energy converters
ITALY ENERCON ADDRESSES ENERCON Italia Via Luciano Manara, 5 Interview 00044 Frascati (Roma) · ITALY Phone + 39 06 94 01 69 1 · Fax + 39 06 94 01 69 299 Page 16 Michael Schirmer: Reinforce dikes e-mail: [email protected] and protect the climate! NEW ZEALAND ENERCON GmbH Andrea von Lindeiner · PO Box 340206 Birkenhead · Auckland 0746 · New Zealand Events and Addresses Phone +64 (0)9 4199 231 · GER +49 4941 976 959-147 e-mail: [email protected] Page 2 ENERCON Addresses PORTUGAL Page 15 Info-Service ENERCON Portugal c/o Gellweiler S.A. · Rua Vitor Cordon, 37-4° Dt° 1200-481 Lisboa · PORTUGAL Phone +351 21 340 71 65 · Fax +351 21 340 71 69 e-mail: [email protected]
SPAIN ENERCON Spain S.A. València Parc Tecnològic, Av. Juan de la Cierva, 27 Imprint 46980 Paterna (València) · SPAIN Publisher: ENERCON GmbH · Dreekamp 5 · 26605 Aurich · Germany Phone +34 961 366 461 · Fax +34 961 366 469 e-mail: [email protected] Phone +49 4941 927-0 · Fax +49 4941 927-109 · www.enercon.de/en/_home.htm SWEDEN Editorial office: Volker Uphoff, Ruth Brand ENERCON Energy Converter AB Printed by: Steinbacher Druck GmbH, Osnabrück, Germany Stenåldersgatan 19 21376 Malmö · SWEDEN Copyright: All photos, illustrations, texts, images, graphic representations, insofar as this is not expressly stated to the Phone +46 40 143 580 · Fax +46 40 222 420 e-mail: [email protected] contrary, are the property of ENERCON GmbH and may not be reproduced, changed, transmitted or used otherwise without
TURKEY the prior written consent of ENERCON GmbH. ENERCON Servis Ltd. Sti. Frequency: The WINDBLATT appears every three months and is regularly included in the Bagdat Cad. No 187 A Blok daire 5 Selamicesme Kadikoy New Energy, magazine for renewable energies, of the German WindEnergy Association. Istanbul · TURKEY Subscribe: Phone +49 4941 976-667 or www.enercon.de/en/_home.htm; stamp duty 2,- € per issue. Phone +90 216 3854 715 · Fax +90 216 3606 492 e-mail: [email protected] Cover photo: Welding at MTA Metalltechnologie Aurich GmbH. EDITORIAL WINDBLATT 01 | 2008 3
Dear Readers,
In 2007, the Nobel Peace Prize shared in equal parts between the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Al Gore finally brought the question of climate change into the lime- light. The renowned prize awarded for efforts to preserve nature and world peace is a means of rousing public awareness that curbing man-made climate change is vital for the survival of mankind.
Renewable energies are already making a considerable contribution to cutting carbon dioxide emissions. In Germany in 2006, wind energy alone saved more than 26 million tons of CO2 – the highest share of a total of 44 million tons of CO2 prevented by the Renewable Energy Sour- ces Act (EEG). But there is still immense potential for wind energy development at inland sites. If our country wants to provide more clean power and achieve changes in its energy supply system, it is essential that we make use of this potential. ENERCON’s most outstanding technological innovation to date is the construction of the E-126 prototypes in Emden and Cuxhaven in 2007. The new multimegawatt turbine clearly demonstrates how efficiently the wind’s power can be used. With an output of more than 18 million kWh p.a. (at exposed sites performance it can even surpass 20 million kWh) this model can provide over 5000 house- holds with green electricity – meaning that wind energy is now by far the most economical renewable energy production source.
This fact should further encourage the promotion of renewable energies. The German Rene- wable Energy Sources Act, currently being reviewed in parliament, should not for example impede further developments of the most successful means of preventing CO2 emissions so far. This includes discontinuing, sooner rather than later, gradual yearly reductions of the power purchase price for wind energy. Should politics fail to take rising prices for raw mate- rials and the subsequent increase in the price of wind turbines into account, the conversion to environment-friendly electricity supply could come to a grinding halt.
In order for Europe to attain its goal of providing 20 % of their power supply from renewable sources by 2020, fixed feed-in tariffs are indispensable. So far, these have been the only means of guaranteeing cost-effective, regional developments in all renewable sectors. This efficient instrument of promoting renewables should not be jeopardised by trade models which only render developments more expensive and hamper advancements as experienced in various European countries. Europe is greatly in need of rapid expansion of the most efficient strategy of avoiding CO2 and that is – renewable energies.
Yours sincerely
Aloys Wobben Managing Director ENERCON GmbH 4 WINDBLATT 01 | 2008 NEWS
ENERCON at Hanover Fair 2008 highway B 109 meet, ENERCON will be instal- Until 1986 it was used as a sewage farm. In ling an E-82 on a 138 meter tower. “The tur- 2007 a permit was obtained in line with the bine is not only intended to be a showcase Federal Immissions Control Act (the nearest project for the wind energy sector to people habitations are nearly 2 km away). And wind from all over the world visiting the capital, but estimations are favourable. “Conservative also a profitable endeavour”, says Frank Vach, calculations predict an annual yield of 4 to 4.5 co-initiator of the wind plant from Bernauer million kWh”, explains Vach. Umweltplan GmbH. The turbine is scheduled to be hooked up to Installation of the wind turbine is the result of the grid in May and the inauguration festivities five years of planning efforts. Until 2005, will be held either before or after the summer Model of E-82 at last year’s fair stand. zoning plans totally excluded the possibility of holidays. “Once installed we’ll no longer have constructing wind turbines in and around the to travel out to rural areas surrounding our At this year’s Hanover Fair, ENERCON is again capital. “The apparent reason was ‘Berlin is a capital to show city visitors a wind turbine in exhibiting in the “Energy” section. To provide city and wind turbines just don’t fit into the operation”, says Vach excited. greater insight into our latest technological de- picture’”, reports Vach. However, peripheral velopments the feature attraction at the stand zones were not sufficiently taken into conside- As an active member of the regional subdivi- will be a 1:1 scale model of an E-82/2 MW ration. “In city states like Hamburg and sion of the German WindEnergy Association with an open machine house. This model has Bremen there are enough examples of well- (BWE), he has already accompanied numerous been available to customers since the end of integrated wind turbines”, the planner adds. groups of international visitors to Berlin’s 2005 and can be provided with towers of up to With the support of the Federal government countryside – mostly to the outskirts of Ber- 138 meters in height offering outstanding yield who was looking for a showcase wind turbine nau where his company plans and operates at all IEC Wind Class II sites including sites and efforts of various other Berlin city wind turbines in the states of Brandenburg further inland, e.g. the low mountain ranges. and Saxony Anhalt as well as in Poland.
In addition to ENERCON’s usual film presen- tation at the stand (Hall 13/B78), visitors are ENERCON remains German market invited to take advantage of another exciting leader series of presentations covering the most up- More than every second wind turbine installed to-date developments in wind energy given by in Germany last year was produced by speakers from the ENERCON management, ENERCON. Between Bavaria and the northern representatives from various ENERCON German border, the company installed a capa- departments and experts from partner compa- city of over 830 MW: The market share rose Pciture: Renewable Energy Information Campaign nies. The presentations will include interesting from 38.4 to 50.3 %. Despite these positive fi- Groundbreaking ceremony in Pankow: Participants topics ranging from the present status of tech- were Matthias Köhne, county mayor (2nd from l.), gures though, Germany’s wind energy industry nological developments, current business Andreas Jarfe, BUND, as well as Peter Weber (l.) is currently rather concerned about the future. developments at ENERCON, to expansion of and Frank Vach (r.), both New Energy Berlin. The overall market volume fell back a quarter production capacities. Also worth listening will down to 1670 MW of installed capacity. be presentations on recent changes in political districts such as Pankow, amendments were framework conditions for wind energy and in made to the zoning plans. This trend is on one hand primarily attributed various international markets. to rising raw material and energy prices which “We’re building the E-82 at a site which was are rendering wind turbines more expensive. originally set aside for large industrial facili- On the other hand power feed-in tariffs for Groundbraking ceremony for ties”, explains Vach. But since a major car wind energy decreases in Germany year by first wind turbine in Berlin producer opted for Leipzig instead of Berlin year. In order to protect the local wind energy ten years ago, no firms have set up business market, the German WindEnergy Association January 18 marked the symbolic commence- near the Pankow cloverleaf except one larger feels it is vital that annual degressions on ment of the construction of the first wind retail store and a couple of other small busi- power feed-in tariffs be discontinued and the turbine to be erected in the German capital – nesses. tariff itself be raised up to 9.5 Cents. Berlin. Right next to the motorway cloverleaf “Pankow” where Berlin’s perimeter road, the The site is well-suited for wind energy as the By contrast, the French wind energy market feeder road to Berlin Pankow and the federal area was actually ecologically predisposed. has the wind in its sails. In 2007, it saw even NEWS WINDBLATT 01 | 2008 5
Gamesa 2,6% current rate. However, it may be another year energy shows up in the figures: Out of Other 1,0% Fuhrländer 2,7% and a half before the European Parliament 7500 MW of wind power installed Europe- Source: DEWI ENERCON Siemens 3,5% 50,3% finally passes the directive. Until then the 2001 wide in 2006, 6500 MW were installed in Nordex 4,8% directive still remains in effect. countries with fixed power purchase prices. Repower 10,9% In the electricity sector, the commission’s pro- The renewable energies industry welcomed posal is banking on Europe-wide trading with the draft because not only does it continue to
Vestas renewable certificates. Once a member state maintain the successful power purchase 24,1% has achieved its interim target, these certifica- scheme but also creates an incentive to go tes could be sold by either states or compa- beyond set targets. Furthermore, the Commis- German wind energy market in 2007. nies. Member states could use the funding sion’s draft makes provisions for Europe-wide instrument of their choice. In preliminary grid improvements in order to facilitate green Acciona 1.4% Vergnet 2.5% drafts, the commission wanted to introduce energy input and for desperately needed WinWinD 0.7% Siemens 4.7% ENERCON Source: SER/FEE unrestricted certificate trading, ginving mem- developments within the European grid. It 20.2% Ecotecnia 6.0% ber states the possibility of reaching their urges all member states to cut back red tape objectives by purchasing certificates. which often holds up projects for years. Gamesa 14.5% However, this standardised Europe-wide In the months to come, the EU’s Climate Pro- reform would not only have increased Ger- tection Package will be discussed by the Nordex Vestas 18.4% 14.5% Repower many’s costs by an estimated 30 billion euros council of Heads of State and Government be- 17.2% and EU costs by 100 billion euros by 2020, but fore being passed on to the European Parlia- French wind energy market in 2007. would have also put into question the continu- ment. In addition to providing measures to ed existence of fixed purchase prices for promote renewable energies the package also further growth. According to the Syndicat des power produced from renewable sources (as contains new regulations for the EU Emission Énergies Renouvelables (SER/FEE) Association e.g. in Germany’s Renewable Energy Sources Trading Scheme and should contribute to re- in Paris a total capacity of 888 MW was instal- Act). Just how effective these power purchase ducing carbon dioxide emission by at least led. ENERCON now holds the highest market prices have been for the advancement of wind 20 % in the European Union by the year 2020. share of over 20 % bringing the company up from 4th place in the previous year to market leader ahead of wind turbine manufacturers Nordex (18.4 %), Repower (17.2 %), Vestas – Minimum (14.5 %) and Gamesa (14.5 %). feed-in tariff
Finland – Quota system + certificate trading European Commission puts forward Norway Sweden Estonia Source: new energy/German WindEnergy Associtaion proposal to reach renewables targets – Other support programme Latvia On January 23rd, the European Commission in Denmark Brussels released a draft directive containing – w/o support Lithuania elements intended to pave the way to meeting programme Ireland Great the European Union’s ambitious targets for Poland Britain Netherlands Germany renewable energies. Included in the package Belgium are proposals to implement the decision made L. Czech Rep. Slovakia in spring 2007 by the 27 member states to Austria France Hungary Romania provide 20 % of the total EU energy consump- Switzerland Slovenia tion from renewables by 2020. Italy Bulgaria
Now, the European institutions are working on Portugal Spain putting together a catalogue of measures to Greece actually provide the impetus for disseminating renewable energies throughout Europe. By Cyp. 2020, Germany is supposed to up its con- sumption of renewables to 18%, double the Overview of support programmes for renewable energies in Europe. A lot of welding tasks will continue to be done by hand.
Metalltechnologie Aurich GmbH ENERCON increases vertical integration in Aurich
MTA Metalltechnologie Aurich GmbH – a new company of the welding robot at MTA. “For the first nacelle ENERCON group – started manufacturing nacelle casings and casing section, the robot maker’s support machining cast components and steel parts at the end of 2007. technicians assisted us with the program- ming. For the other parts, we are doing all Preparations for the manufacturing of generator rings are currently the programming ourselves.” The operator in full swing. Customers will be Mechanic Anlagenbau GmbH and moves the robot’s articulated arm towards Induction Generatorenfertigung GmbH, both based in Aurich. “We will an aluminium sheet: Using laser optics, the create about 80 new jobs here this year”, says technical manager robot detects the seams and geometry of a Ralf Mühlenbrock. blade extension so that it can automatically find the weld seams later. Says Mühlen- The MTA Metalltechnologie Aurich plant The range of products includes almost all brock: “We are planning to weld around 500 with three parallel production bays is loca- components of the E-82 nacelle casing – nacelle casings per year.” ted in the Aurich industrial estate between stator casings, spinner sections, blade Tannenhausen and Sandhorst. MTAs imme- extensions, etc.; as well as fully finished Staff from an Italian manufacturer are set- diate neighbours are Mechanic Anlagenbau ready-to-install cast components – main ting up a large vertical boring mill for the GmbH and Induction Generatorenfertigung carriers, axle pins, and blade adapters; and turning and milling of stator support rings. GmbH, the two main customers of the precisely shaped steel rings for stator In the same factory bay, the support rings components manufactured by the new production. Technical Manager Ralf are assembled from steel plate. They carry exclusive ENERCON supplier. Mühlenbrock points out the new large the copper windings of the stator that TITLE STORY WINDBLATT 01 | 2008 7
together with the disc rotor makes up the ding and surface treatment for the alumini- banks of windows allow a lot of natural generator. The support ring for the um casings, and together with the manu- light; a complex ventilation system provides E-70/E-82 turbines has a diameter of more facturers, we’ve created machines that fresh air; and a filtering system and a regu- than five metres. Since some of the welding match our requirements exactly.” For lar cleaning process ensure clean workpla- is done with the ring in upright position, the example, the nacelle casing for the E-82 ces”, explains Kelling. welding tower that is currently being instal- used to be welded by hand. Today, the robot led by Logaer Maschinenbau from Leer, does most of it. But not all manual welding Most of the staff have been hired recently, Germany, must accommodate this height. can be automated. “For many tasks, we’ll in the months since last August. Some of MTA will manufacture about 250 support continue to use experienced aluminium them first completed an introductory wel- rings per year. welders for best results.” ding course and then spent several weeks at MDM in Magdeburg to receive on-the-job “SAM and SKET in Magdeburg have been Another robot is used to sandblast the training. The machining team attended supplying the majority of these rings so far. nacelle casings with a mineral aggregate. several weeks of training at SKET. But because of the component dimensions, The E-82 is the first each delivery required special transport ENERCON turbine model arrangements. By manufacturing the parts that comes with an in Aurich, we cut out many of these cum- aluminium casing as stan- bersome wide load transports”, explains dard. Since the surface is Ralf Kelling. Kelling and Klaus Peters are the not painted – the metal Managing Directors of MTA. takes on the typical ENERCON light grey hue Another factory bay is dedicated to cast during the sanding process component machining. A worker places a – this places high de- drill of more than one meter length into a mands on manufacturing boring mill that mills and drills the main precision. “Railway car carrier flange connections that will later join manufacturers already use the component to the tower pivot bearing this kind of robots. But we and the generator. “Shortly, we’ll commis- had to do a lot more pro- sion a combined washing-painting-drying gramming because we chamber. It will enable us to prepare around need a much more homo- one third of the cast components needed in genous sanding pattern”, Aurich for the final assembly of E-70 and explains Kelling. E-82 turbines”, says Mühlenbrock. ENERCON does not just fo- So far, SKET and Logaer Maschinenbau ha- cus on productivity gains ve done the finishing of all cast components through automation. Above for final assembly by Mechanic Anlagenbau. all, the emphasis is on the “MTA provides us with additional capaci- humanisation of work and ties. Our suppliers needn’t worry that we’ll improvement of quality. take over their work. This is just our con- “Without the robots, wor- tribution towards meeting the growing de- kers would have to spend mand”, emphasises Mühlenbrock. The new eight hours a day in the Setting up a vertical boring mill for turning and milling the stator support rings factory will create around 80 new jobs by sandblasting chamber”, (top); Ralf Mühlenbrock and Ralf Kelling with welding robot. the end of the year. With its state-of-the-art says Kelling. This way, it is machinery, MTA optimises many processing one of many tasks to move the work pieces MTA’s machinery will be complete by the steps that used to require manual work. into the robotic sanding chamber and to end of March this year. Thus, in the space of remove them again. And the robot achieves just two years, the challenges that arose “For the design of the machining equip- consistent, reproducible quality. from the development of a new nacelle ca- ment, we relied on the input of our experi- sing at ENERCON will have created a state- enced colleagues in the Magdeburg plant”, The design of the new plant aims at maxi- of-the-art metal forming company that reports Kelling. “We had to find completely mising staff motivation. “Emissions have explores new fields of application for auto- new approaches to the automation of wel- been reduced as much as possible. Large mation. Rotor blade production at ENEOP3.
ENERCON Eolicas de Portugal (ENEOP3) First rotor blades roll out of Viana production plant Recently, the rotor blade production facility in Viana do Castelo deli- “Our new employees are highly motivated”, vered its first sets of rotor blades to Portuguese wind farms under says Júlio da Silva who, amongst other ENERCON construction. With only a few minor details left to be finis- things, is also in charge of recruitment. “So far, we’ve tried to hire applicants from the hed on the exterior, the plant at Viana’s harbour is already up and North Portugal region as much as possible. running. At a second site in Lanheses, just 17 km away, construction Filling the engineer positions wasn’t too dif- of a huge mechatronic plant is under way. In the meantime, personnel ficult because the University of Porto is of the plant in Viana is proud of the first blades “Made in Portugal”. practically next door.”
“Rotor blade production at our Portuguese is coordinating the set up of ENEOP3’s pro- Setting up business at Viana do facilities began mid-November last year. duction plants. “Currently, we have 190 em- Castelo harbour And this coming March we’ll be starting ployees working on three rotor blade The rotor blade factory is part of ENERCON’s round-the-clock production”, says Frank moulds in two shifts.” Over 500 rotor blades industrial estate project at the harbour town Wübben, Financial Manager at ENEOP3 are expected to leave the new factory du- of Viana do Castelo. As part of a consortium who, along with Júlio da Silva (also Financi- ring the course of the year. By adding a third comprising Energias de Portugal (EDP), Ter- al Manager at ENEOP3) and Francisco La- shift, production capacity can be increased moélectrica Portuguesa, Finerge and Grupo ranjeira, Managing Director of ENERCONPor, to approx. 650 blades per year. Generg, the firm took on commitments to INTERNATIONAL WINDBLATT 01 | 2008 9
develop a wind industry site when, in res- ponse to a public tender, the group was awarded a contract to install 1200 MW of wind energy throughout Portugal by the Portuguese government at the end of 2006. ENERCON is currently implementing these.
“We’re making good progress with the de- velopment project and nearly all sites are on schedule”, explains Francisco Laranjeira. The Viana production centre will be made up of four factories at two sites. At the Via- na harbour site, concrete tower production facilities are going up next to the rotor bla- de factory. “Construction work for the pro- duction halls is in progress and we’ll soon be installing all the technical equipment”, Staff at ENEOP3 rotor blade factory in January 2008. says Laranjeira. “Our timeframe is tight, as everything has to be completed before we number of experienced experts from Ger- the Spanish border where a total of 120 launch production in July.” many, they are now assisting with the pro- wind turbines (E-70 & E-82) are to be in- duction set up and are passing their know- stalled by the end of 2008. The new factory Mechatronic hall and Service ledge on to colleagues and staff. will reduce transport costs for Alto Minho centre inland and numerous other follow-up projects in While construction is going on in Viana, Sites for 1200 megawatts wind Portugal considerably. Blades for the first ENEOP3 is building a mechatronic hall with energy already allocated out of the 48-wind-farm concession awar- three parallel production lines at Lanheses, One of the first wind farms to benefit from ded to the consortium and ENERCON in 17 km inland from the harbour. These halls the blades produced in Viana is the Alto 2006 are expected to be delivered in spring are intended for generator manufacturing Minho project in Northern Portugal close to 2009. and E-module assembly. The Service and installation supervision offices for Portu- Miguel Pinto: “A great enterprise. Even the Prime Minister came guese projects and the ENEOP3 administra- investment in our country!” to the inauguration ceremony of our plant. tive headquarters will also be located here. Assembly work on the prefabricated hall ENEOP3 is rolling out its first rotor bla- Why did you decide walls has already begun on the previously des; how does that make you feel? to apply for a position laid foundations. Production kick-off is Pinto: We’re really proud. The working at ENEOP3? scheduled for September. conditions are just great and the working Pinto: Well, I’m a me- atmosphere is good even when things chanical engineer and Until then, the number of employees has to aren’t so easy. On top of that, we’re wor- graduated from the be multiplied. “We’ll be hiring more new king with highly qualified staff. We’re not University of Porto. employees, especially in the production only witnessing, but also contributing to Now, I’m living in a Miguel Pinto, 34, production mana- sector”, says da Silva. “Our goal is to fill an industry new to us. This is a great small town 40 km ger at ENEOP3 another 800 positions by the end of 2008.” investment in our country and a tremen- north of Porto. I used rotorblade plant. As ENERCON’s industrial estate project in dous opportunity. to be a quality assu- Northern Portugal has been attracting wide rance manager for Continental Portugal. public attention, many applications have al- How do you like your new job? When I heard about ENERCON’s plans to ready been received. Pinto: I’m extremely happy. Unemploy- set up production facilities in Viana do ment is quite high in our region, you know. Castelo, I jumped to the opportunity. It’s a Before taking over their positions at the new Suppliers for the automobile industry, clo- big project for Northern Portugal, econo- plant in Viana, the Portuguese engineers thing and fishing industries have all laid mically sound – and at the same time it’s and management staff went through a six- off a lot of people and transferred their a launch pad for an environment-friendly month training programme at ENERCON in production to low labour cost countries. industry, which promotes the kind of ener- Aurich and/or Magdeburg. Together with a And now suddenly I’m part of a worldwide gy production we’ll be needing soon. 10 WINDBLATT 01 | 2008 TECHNOLOGY
Study on detection systems Options for reducing obstruction lights
Within the framework of the HiWUS project, supported by the German lungen mbH & Co, Bremen, ENERCON con- Federal Foundation for the Environment, systems are currently being ducted a field trial in Wiemersdorf near tested that minimise the use of obstruction lights on wind energy Hamburg. For three days, a receiver tracked all air traffic movements within a 50 km converters (WEC) without impacting air traffic safety. In a wind farm radius of the Wiemersdorf wind farm. near Hamburg, ENERCON participated in such a trial: In cooperation with the Federal police, they tested the use of transponder signals The air traffic to be detected in this case for scanning air space. was made up mostly of helicopters from the Federal Police Aviation Squadron North ba- Because in certain situations wind energy sing air or sea traffic safety. A number of sed on a nearby airfield. In addition to their converters may represent obstacles for air possible solutions and sea traffic, they must be equipped with are under scrutiny, obstruction lights. Flashing red lights are among them the used at night, and white lights and/or red use of transponder signal stripes on the rotors during the day. signals by aircrafts Despite the use of visibility meters, resi- as well as radar dents in some areas still perceive the lights monitoring of the air as a nuisance. space in order to activate lights only Goal: Minimising light when an aircraft is emissions from wind farms actually approa- The HiWUS project aims to develop an ob- ching. struction lights design that minimises light emissions from wind farms and WECs; it ENERCON is playing Ideal trial set-up: This E-70 is located next to the Federal police airfield at Fuhlendorf. brings together manufacturers and authori- a decisive role in re- ties in Germany in an effort to find ways to searching one particular option: The deve- regular flights, they simulated starting and reduce obstruction lights without jeopardi- lopment of a system that receives airplane landing manoeuvres at a 1 km distance for transponder signals a short period. and uses them to control obstruction Monitoring air space around the lights. In cooperati- wind farm on with the German German air traffic control requests data for air traffic control monitoring air space on a 1090 MHz fre- authority and the quency. Airplanes respond via Mode A/C Federal police as and transmit their transponder IDs, altitudes well as the private and other data. The wind farm antenna cap- companies Filser tures the essential elements of these res- Electronic GmbH, ponses. In certain airspace categories, air- Waal, and Lanthan planes continually transmit their signals Gesellschaft für every 0.8 to 1.2 seconds. Based on this A helicopter crossing the air space above the Wiemersdorf wind farm. technische Entwick- input, a computer linked to the antenna ge- TECHNOLOGY WINDBLATT 01 | 2008 11
nerates a current image of events in the air space above the wind farm. The wind farm control system then uses this data to activate the obstruction lights whenever the wind turbines are in visibility range of aircraft approaching at a certain altitude.
This is the model. The field trials conducted in January only involved the data capturing for aircraft detection. They did not yet ex- tend to the activation of the lights. “We pro- duced about 3.2 million data records”, reports Lanthan’s Gerd Möller. “Now we need to run an analysis and compare our results to the data collected by air traffic control and the Federal police.” This will show whether antennas in wind farms can really capture all air traffic movements. Gerd Möller is setting up a computer for data capturing.
Good basis for developing police airfield at Fuhlendorf. “Without the give both approaches the same chances transponder specifications helpful co-operation of the Federal police, within the HiWUS project. We are looking for Thomas Koester, workshop supervisor of the especially the staff at the airfield, our field a proof of concept. The actual implementa- special components team at Elektric Schalt- study would not have been possible.” tion in air traffic is still a long way off.” anlagenfertigung, is convinced that the data analysis will provide a solid basis for deve- Enertrag, based in Dauerthal near the Polish International approaches loping a comprehensive obstruction lights border, conducted another field trial for the Carlo Reeker, who is in charge of the study design within the HiWUS project. “Our goal, HiWUS project. For one day, they set up a ra- commissioned by the German WindEnergy together with air traffic dar antenna in a wind Association, points out that there are more control and Federal poli- farm in the Ucker- options for protecting aircraft from colli- ce, is to develop a set of mark region of sions with tall buildings. “There are several transponder specifica- eastern Germany. interesting initiatives under way on the tions. We need to define Different from the international level”, says Reeker. For what features are transponder antenna, example, at a workshop on WEC marking needed so that the lights the radar emits its held in Paris in December, French collea- control system can own signals. The re- gues presented their approach of marking detect the signals.” At flections of the signal entire groups of WECs. In the case of a wind the end of this year, indicate the presence farm, only the outline and the turbines at another trial could be run of an aircraft. the highest elevations would need to be to test the interaction of equipped with obstruction lights. “This type obstruction lights and air “The advantage of of marking could increase the acceptance traffic detection. More- radar is that it can of wind farms considerably.” over, Köster and Möller also detect airplanes hope to find out how Adjusting the antenna on top of an E-70. that are not equipped He gives another example, from Norway: many antennas are with transponders”, The Norwegian company OCAS has develo- required for a wind farm and how these explains Enertrag product manager Thomas ped a system that uses radar technology to should be distributed on the grounds to Herrholz. This technology requires several actively send acoustic signals to pilots. If ensure optimal air traffic detection. small radar devices to be installed through- the pilot initiates evasive manoeuvres out the wind farm. Moreover, communicati- based on this warning, there is no need to Köster’s colleague, Stephan Harms, mana- on between the antennas is necessary to activate the obstruction lights. Says Reeker: ger of the special components team, points coordinate object detection. Herrholz does “The Norwegian military already uses this out that conditions for the trial set-up were not prefer one variant, transponder or pri- system to mark overhead power line pylons excellent due to the proximity of the Federal mary radar, over the other. “We’ve agreed to and aerial lifts.” 12 WINDBLATT 01 | 2008 PRACTICE
Hamersen wind farm, Lower Saxony Energiequelle: Commitment to renewables since 1997 Last autumn, Energiequelle GmbH, a company that plans and operates wind farms, celebrated its 10th anniversary. At the same time, it inaugurated its most recent wind farm located in Hamersen, 60 km south- west of Hamburg. The nine E-82 MW turbines are the first in the Rotenburg/Wümme district that are more than 100 m tall. Two years ago, local authorities decided to optimise the utilisation of local preferential zones for wind energy use and to allow wind turbines with heights of up to 150 m. Since its foundation in 1997, Energiequelle has installed over 400 WECs, more than half of them ENERCON machines.
Preparations took six years. At the end of 2001, Mangels had initial talks with land owners, and in the following year with mu- nicipal authorities. Since the district would typically not grant planning permission for wind turbines above 100 m tall, Energie- quelle planned to build E-70 wind turbines with 64 m hub height on the Hamersen site.
But when the district updated its land use plan in 2005, six preferential zones for wind energy use were created, among them the planned site in Hamersen. The individual municipalities were allowed to decide which maximum construction height they would allow within their jurisdiction. Hamersen’s town council soon realised that the commu- nity stood to gain many advantages from Hamersen wind farm on inauguration day. going beyond the 100-m height limitation; in particular, higher revenues from higher The Hamersen wind farm was one out of 13 entity operating the wind farm. Energiequel- wind yield. wind energy projects realised by Energie- le GmbH and Energie 3000 Energie- und quelle last year. “A big factor in the success- Umweltgesellschaft mbH, Mangels’ own en- “A council majority voted in favour of a land ful completion of this project has been the gineering firm, are the limited shareholders use plan that included nine wind turbines long-term amicable cooperation we esta- of the wind farm company. Together with with a total height of 150 m”, explains Man- blished with the local landowners who lease local authorities and land owners, Mangels gels. Energiequelle GmbH was thus able to the sites, and our open and consistent com- developed a site leasing model that allowed apply for permits for E-82 wind turbines munication with the community and local all parties involved to approve the construc- with 108 m hub height. “The only issue we authorities to make sure they fully suppor- tion of the wind farm. “Every square metre had with acceptance in Hamersen was the ted the project”, says Horst Mangels, who of land receives its share of the lease fact that turbines taller than 100 m require works as a planner for the company based payments; publicly owned land is also taken night-time navigation lights.” But here, in Kallinchen, Brandenburg, and Bremen. into account”, he explains. The municipality planners could employ new technology to additionally receives a share of the profits their advantage: Thanks to visibility meters, Mangels also belongs to the management of for the use of its infrastructure for example ENERCON wind energy converters can dim “Windpark Hamersen GmbH & Co. KG”, the during cable installation and for road use. their obstruction lights to one tenth of their PRACTICE WINDBLATT 01 | 2008 13
original luminous intensity in clear nights schemann realised his first project. “Feld- without presenting any hazards for air traf- heim is the cradle of our company. There’s fic. “The night-time lights in Hamersen are always something going on there”, explains much less noticeable than those of other Uecker. This is where Energiequelle instal- comparable wind farms”, says Mangels. led their first WECs in 1998: Four E-66 with 1500 kW and – a first at the time – 85-m Headquartered in Kallinchen near Berlin, steel towers. Also in Feldheim, the company Energiequelle – literally “source of energy” took on operation control of a renewables – plans and operates renewable energy power plant for the first time, for a commu- installations. Hamersen is a typical Energie- nity-owned E-40 wind energy converter. quelle project. According to founder This was a decisive step to broaden the Joachim Uecker, the companys always company’s range of activities. strives to reconcile ecological responsibility with economic interests. “Environmentally The company set another focus in the state friendly projects are only sustainable in the of Lower Saxony, installing the first large long run if the stakeholders’ business inte- Energiequelle wind farm with 11 E-66 turbi- rests are taken into account”, explains nes in Wiesmoor in 1999. Today, the com- Uecker his philosophy. pany looks after 850 WECs located through- Joachim Uecker and Horst Mangels, Energiequelle, out Germany. For more than half of these, together with ENERCON’s Holger Bohlen. Before founding Energiequelle, Uecker wor- the owners are contracting Energiequelle’s ked as a bank loan officer. One of his custo- services. Says Uecker: “We offer a full ser- Energiequelle is growing its business by mers was wind farm planner Michael vice package of wind farm operation con- moving into other renewable energy mar- Raschemann. “While he was still a student, trol: We interface with investors; make sure kets, too: Four years ago, they set up their Michael financed four E-40 turbines with that WECs are serviced according to main- first biogas plant in Claussnitz in Germany’s bank loans and a small subsidy alone”, tenance schedules; keep in touch with local southeast. Further plants were installed in recalls Uecker. He was so impressed that he authorities; do all the bookkeeping; and central and north-eastern Germany to readily accepted Raschemann’s proposal to invoice utility companies for the power feed achieve today’s total biomass capacity of start a company together after graduation. into the grid.” The company currently has five megawatts. However, photovoltaic 81 employees: 50 are based in the Kallin- energy is poised to outstrip the biomass Energiequelle is particularly active in the chen headquarters, the remaining staff capacity soon. A 10-megawatts solar farm area around Feldheim in Germany’s eastern work out of Bremen and Feldheim; two- is under construction near a wastewater state of Brandenburg. This is where Ra- thirds work in operation control. treatment plant in Oberottmarshausen near Munich. And in Abuzaderas in southern Spain, a 3-megawatts photovoltaic plant initiated by Energiequelle is set to take up operation in spring of 2008.
Energiequelle’s goal is to increasingly com- bine the various renewable energies to form energy farms. “A biogas component gets us greater local acceptance because more peo- ple can participate in the value creation”, says Uecker. The first energy farm of this kind has been built in Falkenthal north of Berlin. Eight E-70 wind turbines with 100 m hub height were combined with a 500-kW biogas plant. A photovoltaic installation on a farm building roof will be added later. Adds Uecker: “ENERCON WECs are indispensable when creating such hybrid power plants because their advanced control features Many of Hamersen’s 400 residents attended the wind farm inauguration. make them the best fit for the design.” 14 WINDBLATT 01 | 2008 SUPPLIER
Rothe Erde Heavy duty roller bearings for wind energy converters Rothe Erde has been a reliable ENERCON partner from day one. Now part of the ThyssenKrupp engineering corporation, Rothe Erde has been providing preci- sion blade and tower bearings for ENERCON wind turbines for nearly 25 years. Total commit- ment to quality bearing components and reliable long term supply planning are their trademark.
Achim Winterhalder, Rothe Erde Sales Ma- nager Germany, believes that state of the art technology, durability and outstanding performance are the qualities which give the long-established firm their cutting edge. Mounting precision ball bearing slewing rings at SKET Magdeburg. ENERCON currently employs bearings from Lippstadt for blade flange and main carrier their overall product package so attractive – “I really appreciate our close collaboration connections in the E-48, E-70, E-82 and from application advice through enginee- with Rothe Erde”, says ENERCON construc- E-126 models. ring and production all the way to compre- tion engineer, Torsten Jepsen, who for ex- hensive worldwide customer service. ample also participated in the development Together with special gaskets, the geared of the E-126. “The company has immense double-row pre-stressed four point contact Immense know-how in know-how. They know what is do-able and bearings guarantee smooth rotational mo- designing bearings what’s not.” Their quality assurance is par- vement of ENERCON turbine blade flanges To underpin the development of new custo- ticularly apparent when parties cannot and the machine house. The yaw motors mer products, the company has extensive seem to reach a consensus. Unless they are gear into the exterior gears to assure preci- experience. When ENERCON decides to absolutely convinced of the design, Rothe se nacelle positioning in the direction of build a new model, the specifications defi- Erde will not produce the bearings. prevailing winds. The blade bearings are ning the basic bearing parameters and di- particularly subject to load changes with mensions are forwarded to Rothe Erde. At the Rothe Erde plant in Lippstadt, the Re- each rotor rotation. “To prevent the forma- There, a team of expert engineers, mainly search & Development department calcula- tion of ripple marks, the bearings are pre- mechanical engineers, check the docu- tes its bearings using the so-called finite stressed and produced with a defined rota- ments and work out solutions. “Then we put element method. Computers simulate ope- tional resistance”, explains sales manager forward our ideas which we discuss on site rating conditions such as the bearing Winterhalder. with ENERCON engineers”, says Winter- connection to the flange. To avoid any ma- halder. Ideally, a prototype bearing and a terial fatigue, the collected data is evaluated According to the sales manager, Rothe production plan evolve out of the develop- and engineering takes this into considerati- Erde’s exceptional quality is what makes ment process. on when creating the design. By this pro- SUPPLIER WINDBLATT 01 | 2008 15
cess, the Energethica company is (Genoa/Italy)
able to de- Picture: Rothe Erde 06.03. – 08.03.2008 velop one- 3rd Exhibition on renewable and piece bea- sustainable energy rings with www.energethica.it diameters ranging bet- ween 40 EWEC centimetres (Brussels/Belgium) and 8 met- 31.03. – 03.04.2008 res. Besides European wind energy wind turbi- conference & exhibition nes, these www.ewec2008.info types of ball Rothe Erde production facility at Lippstadt, North Rhine-Westphalia. bearing connections are also used in agricultural rollers supplied by international partners in machines, building machinery, materials the Rothe Erde Group are then inserted in Energy at Hanover Fair 2008 handling and conveyor systems, heavy the grooves between the rings. (Hanover/Germany) transport and tunnel boring machines. INFO-SERVICE 21.04. – 25.04.2008 ENERCON subsidiaries such as SKET in Roller bearings up to eight Technology tradeshow for the Magdeburg and Wobben Windpower in energy mix of the future metres in diameter Brazil are amongst Rothe Erde’s numerous www.hannovermesse.de Even larger bearings are possible. Floating customers for precision ball bearing sle- storage tanks at oil platform wellheads, for wing rings. example, require ball bearing connections with diameters ranging from 14-16 metres Heavy investments according New Zealand Wind Energy so that hose connections to ships remain to growth rates in the sector Conference 2008 (NZWEC2008) flexible during rough swells. “These bea- “Due to increased international demand for (Te Papa/New Zealand) rings are so big, we have to section them bearings, there has been a sharp increase 08.04. – 09.04.2008 Conference on “future vision” for for transport”, says Winterhalder. in lead time”, reports Winterhalder. Thus, to the industry: Emissions trading keep up with the demand and develop- scheme & the NZ energy strategy Winterhalder is highly convinced of the du- ments in the wind energy sector, Rothe www.windenergy.org.nz rability of Rothe Erde bearings. “We guaran- Erde has invested heavily. For the past tee the quality of our bearings through high years, they have not only carried out speed testing, noise measurements, and regular machinery revisions and brought material testing.” equipment up to the latest technological National Wind Energy Conference standards, but have also invested in expan- (Kalmar/Sweden) The well-established firm has production si- ding production capacities worldwide. 23.04. – 24.04.2008 tes worldwide with a total of 6400 people Conference on future of wind employed in factories around Germany, Bra- “Demand from the wind energy sector is energy zil, India, USA, Spain and China. Rothe Erde reliable and increasingly important for our www.kalmar.regionforbund.se belongs to the ThyssenKrupp Technologies business”, says Winterhalder. In view of company and has several ring rolling mills rapid growth rates in all industrial sectors, located in the USA, China and Germany. he soon hopes to be able to speed up deli- HusumWind 2008 very time for the wind sector. “Expansion at (Husum/Germany) At the Dortmund plant, Rothe Erde starts out Rothe Erde will not only be beneficial for 09.09. – 13.09.2008 by rolling steel blocks into rings. The blank wind energy, though.” Customers all over International trade fair for wind work piece is then taken to the factory in the world with annual double digit growth energy Lippstadt where it is milled, drilled, ground, rates in other booming sectors of engine www.husum-wind.com geared, and tempered – always under con- building industry will also profit from the stant quality control checks. The balls and increased capacities. WINDBLATT Reinforce dikes and protect the climate! Michael Schirmer is a teacher of ecology at the University of Bremen. He has played a major role in research projects such as “Climate change, protection of coastal regions, and risk management in Northwest Germany”, providing a groundbreaking perspective of regional consequences of climate change. An advocate of well coordinated reinforcement of Germany’s dikes, he recommends set- ting up a second row of dikes in the long term. As the dike reeve of Michael Schirmer, ecologist, climate change re- the Bremen Dike Association on the Right Bank of the Weser river he searcher and dike reeve for the Right Bank of the Weser River in Bremen. has put his knowledge to use.
Windblatt: In one of your publications, Ol- flood barriers could be built at the estuaries, for Bremen, it’s sensible to provide protec- denburg and Bremen are depicted as coas- e.g. to protect Bremerhaven. But one flood tion against water levels that reach the dike tal cities and Bremerhaven and Wilhelms- barrier alone costs billions of euros. crest once every 3000 years, low lying, less haven as islands surrounded by the sea. densely populated areas would only need How will climate change affect our coasts? Windblatt: Up until now the dikes in protection for a flooding probability of once Michael Schirmer: The illustrations depict Germany have been raised every 30-40 every 1000 or 2000 years. what the coastline could look like in the years – is that still often enough? event of a 1-m rise in sea level and what Schirmer: Coastal protection is a state is- Windblatt: In your opinion, “Climate pro- would happen to unprotected areas, i.e. sue, so we have to differentiate. Bremen tection” is the most vital course of action. areas without dikes. They emphasise how and Lower Saxony have been following a What do you mean by that? seriously Germany would be affected: East common general strategy since 2007. The Schirmer: Here we’re talking about adap- Frisia, West Frisia, and the Weser Marsh last time the dikes were raised here was ting to climate change which has been would be below sea level if, as forecast, the nearly 40 years ago. Today the height incre- going on for the past 100 years. While there sea creeps up a meter by the year 2100. ments are about 1.25 m on average. This is is an “immediate” reaction to greenhouse 25 cm higher than the safety margin for cli- gases in the air, the rise in sea level is a de- Windblatt: How should Coastal Protect mate change. Hamburg, in contrast, has be- layed reaction. In this respect we’re already respond to this development? come particularly cautious since the 1962 reacting too late. Despite this fact though, Schirmer: There are two scenarios: As long floods. The city has invested 600 m euros in we of course have to do our utmost to curb as the sea level doesn’t rise more than 2 m, a coastal protection program. Once comple- these driving forces. Essential stepping sto- we should be able to confront the situation ted, (in 2009) they will already have rea- nes are: adhering to our climate protection with appropriate coastal protection measu- ched the point where Bremen and Lower objectives by making more efficient use of res. All along the coast, the dike line is bro- Saxony will be ten years from now. electricity, continuing to develop renewable ken up by river estuaries where rising wa- energies, reducing greenhouse gas emissi- ters can flow inland. Today, the dike lines Windblatt: How much will it cost to build ons and, through afforestation, maintaining reach as far as the Hemelinger Wier. Beyond up the dikes so that they can accommo- biomass CO2 uptake. As an ecologist, I’m that, the line follows the coast and then up date the results of climate change? used to looking at these things from an the Elbe river. The dikes along the coast and Schirmer: In order to adequately protect overall aspect. There is no way of producing river estuaries not only need to be raised our coasts from Emden to Usedom in the electricity without causing side effects. but also widened and reinforced. To be on next 30 to 40 years, at least two bn euros That’s why I’m rather sceptical when I hear the safe side, it would be wise to set up a would be required and that figure doesn’t people say that by increasing efficiency, for double row of dikes. However, should it be include the islands. I could imagine that example, we can carry on as usual without obvious that sea level is going to rise even eventually not all regions behind the dike a decline in economic wealth. Rather, I think further, reinforcing the dikes would no lon- will be equally protected from flooding as there are a lot of things we could do without. ger be sufficient to cope. “As a last resort” has been the case in Germany so far. While It would at least help us gain time!