When the largest utility in Central Europe began building Europe’s largest onshore wind farm last year, GE was there, supplying 139 of its giant 2.5xl wind turbines. Now, with construction of the first phase well underway, GE Energy has inked a new deal to provide up to 101 additional turbines. When completed, the site will produce enough wind-generated electricity to meet the needs of more than 400,000 homes.
Thinking big: The 2.5xl turbine has a rotor diameter of 100 meters — or about the length of a football field. By comparison, its widely used 1.5-megawatt cousin has a rotor diameter of 70 to 77 meters. The 2.5xl turbine isn’t currently sold in the U.S., but GE will begin offering it to North American customers next year — with those units to be assembled in Pensacola, Fla.
The European Union currently has a goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent while increasing renewable energy capacity 20 percent by the year 2020. To reach this objective, the EU has set national targets for each EU member state, based on the per capita GDP of each country. Conversely, in the U.S., current proposals before Congress call for just 3 to 6 percent of total U.S. electricity generation to be produced by renewables by 2012 — which is essentially equal to or below the status quo.
The first phase of the project –- Fantanele — and the second phase — Cogealac — are both located in Romania, which at the end of 2008 had only 10 megawatts of wind generation equipment installed, according to the European Wind Energy Association. But the new wind farm will increase that dramatically. When phase two is completed in 2011, the country will have a total capacity of 600 megawatts of wind power.
As Reuters says in its story on the deal, “The planned two-stage wind farm will be around twice the size of the next biggest onshore wind farm in Europe and marks one of the largest recent foreign investments in European Union newcomer Romania.” One of the key reasons that the new wind farm is located in Romania is due to the country’s new pro-renewables legislation. As Reuters notes, the government is “eager for renewable power plants to bring them closer to EU goals while at the same time replacing outdated communist-era energy infrastructure.”
The 2.5xl wind turbine represents GE’s most advanced wind turbine technology in terms of efficiency, reliability and grid connection capabilities. It is designed to yield the highest annual energy production in its class and builds upon the success of GE’s 1.5-megawatt wind turbine, the world’s most widely deployed wind turbine with more than 12,000 now installed.
Nearly 200 of GE’s 2.5-megawatt wind turbines have been installed in nine countries and have compiled more than one million operating hours. Most of GE’s 2.5xl wind turbines for European projects are manufactured at GE Energy’s wind turbine facility in Salzbergen, Germany, which recently was expanded to help meet Europe’s growing demand for wind turbines.
* Read today’s announcement
* Learn about efforts to strengthen Renewable Electricity Standards in the U.S.
* See how a wind turbine blade is made in our Blade Runner series
* Read “GE’s giant wind turbines set to debut in Sweden”
* Read about the 2.5xl turbines coming soon to the U.S.
* See the technical specs of the 2.5MW turbine
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I think the wind turbines are a very resourceful invention. : D Got any more ideas? It sure makes me smile to see this style of nature at a consistant amount being generated into energy.I love it!!! Thank you for your time to read this and may the wind of time keep on moving.
with gratitude,
Kathaleen
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well 4 1 wind energy is 4 the sun.
i think this website contains a lot of good information for my daughters homework
hi
great info
I have been interested in a different form of energy for a while now I am 53 AND ON disability we just bought a newer home 2 years ago . we were just notified that our electric bill will be going up possibly 30%. i am allowed to work part time.What i was concerned about was i live in the city allentown,pa. Is a windmill allowed within city limits we have a nice size yard and are not near any large buildings. Also is there any kind of government assistance or stimulas for such a switch to wind energy. The reason I feel strong about wind over solar where I live there always seems to be a good breeze example I can set garbage cans in my yard and by the next morning they have to be returned where they belong. plus we do not know what the cost of a wind system I had heard what ever electric you have leftover the power company must buy back if you have any info to help or comments my wife and i would appreciate it.
THANK YOU JOSEPH J BORATH III
1216 S MEADOW ST.
ALLENTOWN,PA.18103
Do you design wind turbines for single customers such as an individual who wishes to have their home soley placed on a wind turbine system not being connected to an electric company?
How large of a community could one 2.5 turbine support? Is it possible to have a back up unit to generate hydrogen to power a back up generator and to supply hydrogen cell for that same bedtime community? What kind of cost would a developer be looking at and is this something that would be funded partially federally as well?
Does GE make smaller wind turbines? Ones that have blades sizes half that of te 2.5MW unit? I wouldn’t need turbine that large for the applications I have in mind! Whom would I contact?
man this is somw great suff it help me alot on my energy projact that’s.
I am interested in receiving information on wind energy
for my 6 bedroom, 3700sf in New Milford, Ct. I’m hoping
there is something available for the homeowner who is
looking to have control over energy costs that I expect
to continually escalate.
96vdc wind generator
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can you answer my questions above and maybe a catalog and prices or stimulas assistance