GE launches Cypress 6.0-164 onshore wind turbine

GE Renewable Energy (Paris, France) introduced on Nov. 30 the 6.0-164 version of its Cypress onshore wind turbine platform, making it what the company claims is its most powerful onshore wind turbine available.

The 6.0-164 turbine, says GE, will increase annual energy production (AEP) by up to 11% over the 5.3-158 model. Like the other products in the Cypress platform, the 6.0-164 features a proprietary two-piece blade carbon fiber blade (see “Modular design eases big wind blade build”) that is said to improve logistics and drive down costs. Each 6.0-164 turbine will reportedly produce enough electricity to power approximately 5,800 European households. GE say the model will be in the field by 2022.

“The Cypress platform is already providing our customers the ability to lower the cost of onshore wind and gain added flexibility in siting turbines,” says Peter Wells, CEO of GE Onshore Wind Europe, GE Renewable Energy. “This latest product will help them drive additional growth in clean, renewable win power across Europe and beyond.”

The 6.0-164 is the most recent model announced under the Cypress platform, which also includes the 5.5-158, 5.3-158 and 4.8-158 turbines. The Cypress platform, says GE, further advances the proven technology of its two-megawatt (MW) and three-megawatt fleets, which serve an installed base of more than 20 gigwatts (GW). The platform covers multiple wind classes enabling significant AEP, increased efficiency in service ability, improved logistics and siting potential and ultimately delivering more value for customers, GE says.

Further, the new model is designed with services in mind, facilitating up-tower repairs and featuring condition-based predictive services that are said will improve return-to-service and uptime, while lowering lifecycle costs.

Since its introduction, GE Renewable Energy says it has received more than 3.4 GW of orders for its Cypress turbines in multiple European countries, including Germany, Austria, Sweden and Lithuania as well as Brazil, Australia and Turkey.

The latest unit in the Cypress platform fully leverages resources across GE and was developed in partnership between GE’s Onshore Wind business, GE’s Global Research Center and LM Wind Power.