Siemens Gamesa launches 14-MW offshore direct drive turbine

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE, Zamudio, Spain) announced on May 19 the launch of its SG 14-222 DD offshore direct drive wind turbine. 

The SG 14-222 DD features a 14-megawatt (MW) capacity — reaching up to 15 MW using the company’s Power Boost function —  a 222-meter diameter rotor, 108-meter composite blades, a 39,000-square-meter swept area and a nacelle weight of just 500 metric tonnes. This system is based on five product generations since the platform was launched in 2011.

“We’ve gone bigger for the better,” states Markus Tacke, CEO of Siemens Gamesa. “Safely and sustainably providing clean energy for our customers and society-at-large is at the core of all we do. The SG 14-222 DD is a global product which allows all of us to take giant steps towards protecting and preserving our planet.”

Some of these steps, Tacke mentions, include meeting Siemen’s Gamesa’s long-term goal of net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2050. Its already-installed onshore and offshore wind turbines reduce more than 260 million tons of CO₂ emissions annually — just one unit of the SG 14-222 DD turbine, says Andreas Nauen, CEO of the Siemens Gamesa Offshore Business Unit, will avoid approximately 1.4 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions over the course of its projected 25-year lifetime. 

The SG 14-222 DD rivals the company’s other offshore wind turbines in several categories. For example, its low nacelle weight enables Siemens Gamesa to safely use an optimized tower and foundation substructure. This reduces the cost per turbine by minimizing sourced materials and reducing transportation needs. Using Siemen’s Gamesa’s new B108 blades, the 222-meter-diameter rotor is almost three space shuttles in length placed end-to-end. Each blade, at 108 meters long, is infused in one piece.

Further, the turbine’s 39,000-square-meter swept area is equivalent to approximately 5.5 standard football fields, allowing the SG 14-222 DD to provide an increase of more than 25% in annual energy production compared to the SG 11.0-200 DD offshore wind turbine. The 14-MW capacity also enables one SG 14-222 DD machine to provide enough energy to power approximately 18,000 European households every year. Siemens Gamesa says that roughly 30 SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbines could cover the annual electricity consumption of Bilbao, Spain.

“Offshore is in our DNA,” says Nauen. “Since we helped create the offshore wind industry in 1991, we’ve been determined to safely increase operational performance, minimize technology risks, and create a consistently lower levelized cost of energy. The SG 14-222 DD demonstrates our drive to lead the way in a world powered by clean energy.”