Customer Magazine Nordex 360

Issue 1 | 2013
The all-round Nordex review – Wind. Energy. Performance.
First issue of new
customer magazine
News
Nordex helps out
Pakistan
Renewable
Energies Act
(REA) reform
Germany
Generation Delta
An interview with CEO Dr Jürgen Zeschky
6
Premiere!
Premieres are always something very special. Every first performance is
preceded by long and intensive preparations: Which play will the dramaturge
include in the repertoire? How will the stage director handle it artistically? All
those involved, from the stagehands and property master right down to the
artists, invest a lot of emotion and intellect to ensure that the performance
is successful. The participants may even have a little stage fright ahead of
the big day – which would be quite understandable. After all, the seats are
filled by an audience whose expectations they absolutely want to meet.
What I have just said about the stage applies in a similar way to business
life. This issue of our customer magazine represents two premieres at the
same time – and we have invested a lot of experience, energy and ideas
in both. First, we are presenting our Generation Delta. We had one main
objective in developing this fourth generation of our multi-megawatt platform: to reduce the cost of energy for our customers. At the same time,
we attached particular importance to the availability of our turbines. The
second premiere concerns our customer magazine itself. We have revised
it in terms of content, structure and graphics to give it a varied and modern
design for our readers.
Of course, we are keen to find out what our customers think of our “first
performances”. With this in mind: curtain up!
Service quality
inspectors
Top Topic
8 | Generation Delta
Proven technology at a new stage of
evolution – An interview with CEO
Dr Jürgen Zeschky
Publishing information
Published by: Nordex SE,
Langenhorner Chaussee 600,
22419 Hamburg, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)40 300 30 1000
E-mail: [email protected]
Project manager and editor: Sandra Jaekel
Legally responsible under German press law:
Ralf Peters
Authors of this issue: Silke Brandes (SBR),
Julia Gese (JGE), Judith Holzwarth (JHO),
Sandra Jaekel (SJA)
Photos: Nordex, unless otherwise stated
Design: Orange Cube Werbeagentur, Hamburg
Printing: Rasch Druckerei und Verlag
GmbH & Co. KG, Bramsche
Paper: This customer magazine is
printed on Hello Hot silk new, 150 g / m²
Circulation: 10,000 (5,000 German,
5,000 English)
Lars Bondo Krogsgaard,
Chief Customer Officer (CCO) Nordex SE
2|
Reproduction, including extracts, and
electronic distribution only with the
express permission of the publisher.
8
22
Generation
Delta
Nordex helps out
in Pakistan
Inside
Outside
4 | Nordex 360° replaces
Windpower Update
A fresh breeze for the
Nordex customer magazine
12 | Trend: On-site power plants
Companies and industry are looking
more and more to their own “green”
power plants
18 | Midtfjellet: A race
against the winter
Flexible special measures help to hand
over the Midtfjellet project on schedule
14 | REA 2.0: One aim, many questions
The REA is facing a comprehensive reform
22 | Nordex helps out in Pakistan
Social projects support the local people
16 | A hands-on rotor blade
Nordex donates exhibit for Hunsrücker
Windweg
26 | Nordex is market leader
Successful penetration of the
Pakistan market
17 | Short reports
Nordex celebrates one gigawatt of total
capacity in the UK and Ireland
28 | Successful market
entry in South Africa
Nordex sets up subsidiary on the Cape
and obtains two large orders
Calendar
5 | Quality drive
Strategic improvement process is to
further increase service efficiency
6 | They know the turbines
like the back of their hand
In the field with the service
quality inspectors
National subsidiary set up in Romania
Knowledge
30 | Technical Lexicon
Part 1: The rotor
31 | Market incentive systems
Part 1: The German Renewable
Energies Act
|3
Nordex 360° replaces
Windpower Update
Virtually unchanged for twelve years – now completely revamped. The Nordex customer magazine. In February 2013, the company publishes its customer magazine under a new name and
with a different concept. Welcome to the first issue of Nordex 360°.
“We want to offer our readers a wide
variety of articles in a magazine with a
modern style”, says Sandra Jaekel from
Nordex Corporate Communications. “For us,
it is important to choose topics that include
relevant information for our customers, but
of course they must also be entertaining.
I hope we have managed to do this in the
first issue.” Text: Sja
The name says it all: the magazine pro vides an all-round view of Nordex and
reports on key topics from the company
and the sector. Each issue focuses on
one “Top Topic”. The magazine provides
Calendar
first half-year
information from inside the company as
well as news from its markets. Finally,
the “Knowledge” section contains interesting facts from the wide field of
wind energy.
The editors would be
pleased to hear readers’ opinions on the new
concept. Please send your
feedback to the following
e-mail address:
[email protected]
Preliminary 2012 financial statements Interim consolidated report for
1st quarter 2013
11 March 2013
15 May 2013
Final figures on fiscal year 2012 –
Annual General Meeting
press conference
4 June 2013
25 March 2013
2013 Hanover Fair
8 to 12 April 2013
Service: Quality drive
”Nordex Service is to become world class.” Anticipatory remote monitoring
This was Bo Mørup’s declared aim when In addition, the remote monitoring system is intended
to proactively support staff working in the field. Up to
he became Head of Service at Nordex now it has only been possible to react to turbine problast year. He launched a strategic improve- lems as they occur. One of the improvement initiatives
is aimed at Nordex Service taking action before a fault
ment process in the course of which his occurs. Project manager Thomas Zedler: “We are curdepartment is now implementing 19 of rently conducting a thoroughgoing evaluation of faults.
If the remote monitoring system later detects the first
more than 70 proposed improvements. indications of the cause of a fault, such as an increase
The initiative has two aims: service is to in temperature in the gearbox, we can already take
and avoid the fault, for example a gearbox
become even more efficient worldwide counteraction
breakdown.” The turbines stand still less frequently and
and industrial safety further improved. the amount of on-site intervention is reduced.
Once the initiatives have been implemented, processes
are to be more clearly defined and run faster, collabor­
ation with suppliers more thoroughly organised and
the fleet further improved technically. Nordex 360°
briefly presents three of the initiatives here:
Reducing fault reports
Service wants to effectively reduce the number of
recurring fault reports on the K08 platform. The project team has already identified the ten most frequent
faults and their causes. The Engineering department
is currently working out technical solutions, which
are to be implemented in the next step. This project
reduces both the number of fault messages and the
work involved in remedying the faults occurring. A
key factor for Nordex customers: the availability of
their turbines increases.
High-quality training
Nordex has already introduced a new training concept
for service technicians. This ensures a high and uniform
standard of knowledge on a global basis. In future, all
technicians, irrespective of their previous knowledge,
will take part in at least two training modules before
they are deployed by Nordex. Two further modules are
optional and are intended to add depth and specialisation
to the knowledge acquired. This enhances the quality of
service and improves awareness of health and safety.
Bo Mørup is satisfied with the progress made in
the improvement process: “For me, it is important that
every individual member of the Service department
constantly aims to improve in his or her specific area.”
Overall, this will enable us to significantly enhance
quality and efficiency, because there’s always room
for improvement.” Text: Sja
Inside Service
|5
They know the turbines
like the back of their hand
Their mission: quality. Their companions: a checklist and a camera.
Their place of work: wind farms in Europe. Nordex 360° went into the field
with the service quality inspectors Jens Becker and Clemens Dewies.
Day three in the Wiemersdorf wind farm, some
50 kilometres to the north of Hamburg – home ground
for Jens Becker and Clemens Dewies. Today, the
two of them are taking a close look at the fifth of the
seven N100/2500 turbines on the wind farm. The
turbines have recently been serviced. The job for
Jens and Clemens now is to check what condition
they are in. “In cases like this, we often don’t know
who did the maintenance work: Nordex Service or a
service provider. We come unannounced to make a
neutral assessment of the state of the system”, says
Jens Becker. When they inform the Field Operation
Manager that something is not right in his wind farm,
they are not aiming to show anyone in a bad light: “It’s
all down to customer satisfaction and nothing else.”
6|
Inside Service
Looking into every corner
Once the turbine has been switched off, Jens and
Clemens first check the outside of the tower. To do
this they climb to the platforms 20 and 40 metres up
the tower. “Incidentally, the ladder is attached 20
centimetres too high, so it doesn’t comply with the
standard”, says Jens and makes a note. The marks
on the flange bolt indicate proper maintenance. But
the quality inspectors make a note of some incipient
corrosion on the tower.
Then they go inside the tower. Jens and Clemens work their way up, checking whether there are
any irregularities in the “Nordex Control” operating
system and whether the service reports are complete and all the technical documents up to date.
›
They also check whether the warning signs and notes
on use are located correctly, whether the suspension
points for staff are marked yellow as they should
be, whether there are any oil or other liquid leaks,
whether the tower flanges have been regularly serviced, whether the lights and all the fuses work and
whether there is any friction on the cable – in short,
whether everything is clean and in a correct condition
from the point of view of safety and employment law.
“The health and safety aspect is particularly important. Our colleagues working on the turbines must
be able to depend on everything being in order at all
times”, says Clemens. On their way to the nacelle,
the two colleagues stop the lift at all intermediate
levels. “We take a close look into every corner of the
system and take photos of the irregularities so that
| 1 |
1 | Safely secured,
we can make our report afterwards”, explains Jens.
To find out what an irregularity is, the quality inspectors have to of course know exactly what the ideal
status is: “For us, this means extensive reading: for
example, we have to know a lot of European norms,
the regulations of the Association of German Electrical
Engineers, Nordex specifications and assembly and
maintenance instructions. Apart from this, experience
plays a major role.”
Clemens Dewies closely
inspects every corner of
the roof.
2 | An eye for detail is
also called for in the
nacelle: Jens Becker
checks the drive train.
Magnificent views
| 2 |
What does quality assurance do
in the Service department?
Nordex set up the Service Quality Assurance
department in 2007. Three service inspectors
in Germany and one each in the UK and Turkey
make random checks of serviced wind farms in
order to measure the quality of the service work
and improve it. The service inspectors come
unannounced and inspect the turbines on the
basis of a checklist. An objective assessment is
then made automatically using the school grade
system. All the results are then forwarded to the
Field Operation Manager so that he can initiate
any measures necessary.
Since the Service department has been sending
inspectors into the field, the quality of service has
improved significantly. Last year, the inspectors rated
85 percent of the turbines as good, compared with
much fewer in 2008. And for this year the benchmark
is set even higher: a figure of 90 percent is to be
achieved for all inspections in Europe.
One highlight of every quality check for Jens and Clemens is always the moment when they stick their heads
out of the hatchway in the nacelle. “Wiemersdorf is
not quite so spectacular in terms of scenery, but we
have also had jobs in Sicily with a view of Mount Etna.
Apart from that, it’s particularly beautiful on turbines
in the mountains or on the coast”, says Jens, adding:
“Always being on the road can be a strain sometimes.
So the peace and quiet up here is something special.”
A good turbine all round
The two colleagues inspect the roof and then work
towards the hub. Jens Becker discovers that the
lid has become detached from a pitch box. “It has
been rotating in here like in a washing machine and
done some damage”, he says, pointing to the spots
where the lid made contact when being rotated. Our
customer certainly wouldn’t be very pleased to see
the hub in this condition. When you take your car for
its MOT, you try to make sure it’s clean and in a good
condition.” A final question to Jens Becker: Can he
switch off his eye for detail in his private life? He
laughs and admits: “No. I’m very pedantic by nature
and love to go into detail. But you have to be like this
for my job. The quality has to be right because that’s
what our customers expect.” Text: Jho
Inside Service
|7
Generation
Delta –
proven technology at
a new stage of evolution
Just in time for EWEA 2013, Nordex is launching the
fourth generation of its multi-megawatt platform on
the market: the N100/3300 strong-wind turbine and
the N117/3000 for sites with moderate wind speeds. In
developing Generation Delta, the manufacturer is again
making use of the proven series technology, focusing
on the reliability of all system components. At the same
time, with the Delta platform Nordex wants to set new
standards in terms of economic efficiency, reliability,
service-friendliness and health and safety. Nordex 360°
spoke to CEO Dr Jürgen Zeschky, who is also responsible for product developments, about the performance
features of the new turbines.
360°: Dr Zeschky, what was the principal
aim of developing Generation Delta?
If we want to assert ourselves on the market as a wind
turbine manufacturer, we have to make electricity
production cheaper in future. This is precisely what
the development of Generation Delta was all about.
With these turbines, we can significantly cut the cost
of energy as they deliver up to 31 percent more yield
from the sites.
360°: Just how exactly do the turbines
achieve this higher yield?
Let me briefly explain, taking the N117/3000 as an
ex­ample. First, we have upgraded the system in such
a way that we can now offer our proven 117-metre
rotor in the IEC 2 wind class. This enables us to
enlarge the rotor sweep in this class by 37 percent.
Moreover, with the N117/3000 turbine, we can offer
a 3-megawatt turbine for the first time – this equates
to a 20 percent increase in rated output. These two
factors have a positive effect on yield. You can also
see from these figures that we have been able to
substantially improve the efficiency of our product
for moderate wind conditions.
360°: How do you rate the market potential
for these new turbines?
I am convinced that, with these two turbines, we have
a first-class product to offer for sites with moderate
and strong wind speeds. Our target markets for the
N117/3000, for example, are Sweden, Finland, France
and the Netherlands. We will also be able to gain a
competitive edge with this turbine in Germany. With
the N100/3300, we can position ourselves even better
especially in the UK, Ireland and Norway. ›
The Nordex product range
WTG type/wind classes
IEC 1
IEC 2
IEC 3
N90/2500
N100/3300*
N100/2500
N117/3000*
N117/2400
*Series start at the beginning of 2014.
8|
Top Topic Generation Delta
CEO Dr Jürgen Zeschky
took over the helm at
Nordex in March 2012 and
is also responsible for
product developments.
Top Topic Generation Delta
|9
| 1 |
1 | The fourth generation
of the Nordex multimegawatt platform combines proven, reliable
technology with specific
new developments.
2 | Lower electricity
production costs
thanks to a 31 percent
360°: Why is Nordex sticking so closely
to tried-and-tested concepts?
We know from our customers that a secure investment counts for them. This is why, when we develop
a product, we take an evolutionary approach in which
we develop our technical platform step by step. Generation Delta contains the experience from installing
more than 2,000 multi-megawatt turbines. We do not
change the proven basic principles. In this way, we
are able to avoid the risk of teething troubles and our
customers appreciate this.
for service purposes. This reduces operating costs.
We have also revised some systems so that we can
change to a service interval of one year. ›
higher yield: Nordex
Generation Delta.
360°: Which proven systems
are you referring to?
Since our first N80/2500 in the year 2000, we have
been making use of the dissolved drive train concept
and a three-point suspension for our multi-megawatt
platform. We have optimised this concept over a period
of years together with our suppliers. The electrical
system still consists of a doubly fed asynchronous
generator and a partial converter. It works trouble-free
and economically, and this is why we are also using
it for Generation Delta.
360°: With these turbines you want to score
in terms of service-friendliness and health and
safety. What have you changed here?
We have designed Generation Delta so that service
operations can be conducted particularly rapidly and
safely. For example, a spinner provides fast and protected access to the hub – and decreases downtimes
10 | Top Topic Generation Delta
| 2 |
Generation Delta: the data at a glance
360°: As of when will the new
turbines be available?
We can already install the first turbines at the middle of
the year. Series production starts at the beginning of 2014.
We are able to achieve this short lead time by making
use of existing rotor blade moulds, among other things.
360°: Let’s take a look at the future. Where
is the journey taking us in terms of Nordex
turbine development?
We surprised a lot of people in the market with the
N117/2400. At the time, everyone agreed that we had
reached the limits of the platform – but then we were
able to include many innovations. The use of new materials and principles opens up new possibilities here.
I’m thinking of the use of carbon in the rotor blade, for
example, or load-reduced control. This results in further
development potential for the future. Exactly where this
journey is taking us will become clear over the coming
months. Text: S ja
N100/3300
N117/3000
Wind class
IEC 1a
IEC 2a
Rotor diameter
100 m
117 m
Rated output
3.3 MW
3.0 MW
Tower heights
75 m and 100 m
91 m, 120 m, 141 m
Noise level
105.5 dB(A)
106.0 dB(A)
For detailed information on
Generation Delta see:
www.nordex-online.com/delta-generation
Technical development at Nordex
How is a new product created?
Developing such a highly complex product as a wind turbine generator is a lengthy and difficult
process. From the initial plan to series production, broad interdisciplinary coordination is called
for in order to be able to make the necessary decisions. To start with, the first question is
always: what does the market want?
Planning
Concept
Detailing
Defining the product: demand and feasibility
First of all, Product Management defines the market requirements.
This decision is backed by information obtained from talking to
core customers. Which criteria must the new product meet and by
when must the development teams have it ready for the market?
Already in this phase it is important for the departments to work
hand in hand. So Procurement checks which requirements suppliers are able to meet. For instance, which gearbox size can the
gearbox manufacturer produce? All the specialist departments
together define the length of the development phase. Time-critical
factors occur in particular in the Procurement, Engineering and
Production departments. These relate, for example, to procuring
towers and gearboxes, designing and defining the components
as well as building the moulds and manufacturing the rotor blade.
The product creation process
Once the product has been defined, the Management Board
issues the project order, thereby starting the product creation
process. At Nordex, this consists of six phases – from planning
to the series run. So-called gates close each phase. At these
milestones the project managers explain the status of the project
Prototype
Industrialisation
Series run
to the Steering Committee – by then the teams must have drawn
up each of the task packages specified.
In the planning phase, the developers define the requirements
to be met by the product. What should the overall turbine system
look like? In addition, the duration and costs of development
are fixed. As the steps progress, the plans become increasingly
detailed. For example, in the concept phase the teams define
the characteristics of the core modules, such as the drive train,
the electrical system and the rotor blade. In the detailing phase,
the teams specify each individual component, down to the smallest screw. When the product exists on paper and the prototype
components are available, the prototype phase can begin, in
which the installation of the first new turbine type is prepared.
Tests conducted on the prototype show whether the turbine’s
performance meets expectations. Furthermore, characteristics
such as the noise level, power curve and grid features are measured and certified. At the same time in the industrial phase, the
teams prepare for series production and finally ramp it up. In this
phase the production staff are particularly busy. Parallel to this,
the developers are already training their service staff in the new
technology, which will now soon be in the field.
Top Topic Generation Delta | 11
“We are able to offer projects
with individual concepts at
the highest technical level
and to the highest logistical
standards.”
Lars Bondo Krogsgaard, CCO Nordex SE
12 | Outside TREND
Trend: On-site
power plants
The pull-out from nuclear energy, increasing electricity prices, concerns about energy
bottlenecks or even power outages: companies and above all energy-intensive industry are looking more and more to “green” power plants. What is behind this – in spite
of individually different emphases – seems clear: companies want to be electricity
producers and not just electricity consumers. They want to act in a sustainable way
and by all means do something for their image. But above all, they do not want to be
dependent on fluctuating prices and optimise energy costs.
A promising way forward
The demand from industry for electricity produced inhouse is growing. “We see this as an opportunity for
Nordex to take this business out of its niche and profit
from it on a larger scale. We are currently acquiring
valuable experience”, says Lars Bondo Krogsgaard,
CCO. As an example of this, at the turn of the year
2012/2013 Nordex was building four 2.5-megawatt
turbines from the N100/2500 series for the power
station operator wpd AG directly on the BMW
factory grounds in Leipzig, where the electric vehicles
are to be produced. “Making use of unused factory
space to generate electricity with wind turbines, right
next to the production facility, seems to be a promising
way forward”, Lars Bondo Krogsgaard continues. In
any case, as of spring 2013 wind-generated electricity
will be fed straight into the factory’s own power grid
in order to provide CO 2-free energy for the production of the vehicles. This fits perfectly into BMW’s
concept, and its “own” wind electricity is a few cents
cheaper than electricity from outside suppliers – a
definite competitive advantage.
Nordex: an experienced partner
‘Nerefco’ oil refinery in the port of Rotterdam. As
Projects of this kind are only possible if installation of the this was a highly sensitive area, the Nordex teams
wind turbine generators does not interrupt or delay ongo- were given safety training courses and the building
ing operation at any time. Furthermore, every possible site organisation had to be certified. In addition to
safety risk must be ruled out. Lars Bondo Krogsgaard: this, Nordex fitted a special fire-protection system
“We are able to offer projects with individual concepts at in every nacelle as well as integrated a lightning and
the highest technical level and to the highest logistical thunderstorm detection system in the operations
standards. One example of installation of a wind farm management system. Lars Bondo Krogsgaard: “No
under stringent safety conditions is a past project in the matter how tricky the projects may be in the details,
Netherlands. Nordex set up nine N80/2500 turbines for our know-how benefits us and our customers when it
BP and Chevron Texaco in the middle of a depot in the comes to subsequent projects.” Text: Sbr
View of the “Nerefco”
refinery grounds in Rotterdam: fossil meets eco.
Outside Trend | 13
One aim,
many questions
REA 2.0:
November 2012 saw the “major” energy summit with Federal Chancellor
Angela Merkel. The national governments and those of the federal states
discussed how to structure the energy turnaround and thus the future
of the German Renewable Energies Act (REA). Although there was no
very concrete result, one thing is clear for all the parties involved: there
is no doubt about the energy turnaround. And now this is to become
reality sooner rather than later!
Objectives of
the reformed REA
One thing is important: any possible
caps on the wind industry are out of the
question. But it’s also about making the
supply of electricity more secure, more economical and at the same time cleaner. Here,
the devil is in the detail, as these objectives
are not always compatible. Furthermore, it
is not easy to reconcile the interests of the
individual federal states. But it’s also clear
that it has long been about more than just
an amendment of the Renewable Energies
Act: “We have to modernise all the rules and
regulations relating to energy supply and move
on from ‘REA 2.0’ to ‘Power Market Design
2.0’”, says Thorsten Herdan from VDMA
Power Systems. This means, for example,
reconciling adjustable power plants with the
fluctuating production of green power plants.
Soundly based new regulations
In this context, the standpoint of Nordex is clear:
“Those who refuse to join in this debate miss out
on the opportunity to participate in structuring
the process. But what we definitely have to
14 | OUTSIDE Germany
avoid are
rapid-fire decisions dictated by
election tactics. A
thoroughgoing analysis
and a concept for restructuring the energy market
take time and will not happen before the German general election in
2013. Fortunately, this is something all the
political parties agree on”, says Ralf Peters,
Head of Nordex Corporate Communications,
summing up the situation.
The German market
For some time now, Nordex has been focusing
on the German market. And with success: in
2012, order intake increased by more than
70 percent to around EUR 200 million. “We
are well positioned and expect to do even
better in 2013”, says Jörg Hempel, Managing
Director of
Nordex Germany. “This seems
to be partly attributable to
the ongoing discussion about
the Renewable Energies Act. The
uncertainty of operators about a possible
cap on capacity is giving the markets a
boost – everyone wants to take advantage of a possible higher remuneration. But
even without this mini-boom, the growth
opportunities for Nordex are good, as
our products and our service are right.” Text: Sbr | More on the topic on page 31.
Rostock, August 2010: In the Nordex
rotor blade production facility,
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
starts her energy tour and forms her
own impression of the development
status of renewable energies.
Photo: Ove Arscholl
OUTSIDE Germany | 15
A hands-on rotor blade
Showing wind energy close-up: the Hunsrücker Windweg.
A Nordex rotor blade is one of its most spectacular exhibits.
Five kilometres full of hands-on information
about the world of wind energy – this is
what is offered by the Hunsrücker Windweg
tour. One of the main attractions of the new
information tour has been sponsored by
Nordex: visitors now have a rare close-up
view of a 38-metre rotor blade. The stops
along the tour show various aspects of the
topic, from the creation of wind through
the use of wind energy in the past and
today, down to explanations of turbine
technology. More than 300 guests studied
the information boards and exhibits at the
opening in October 2012. Now spring marks
the start of the hiking season. So it’s on
with the jacket and stout shoes – and out
into the countryside!
The tour was set up by the Wiesbaden
project developer ABO Wind in order to
inform those interested about the use of
wind energy, adding a further attraction to
the region. The information tour is situated
some 30 kilometres to the east of Trier in
the municipality of Thalfang. Text: Sja
Frankfurt
Trier
Thalfang
Saarbrücken
Showing wind energy
hands-on: the Hunsrücker
Windweg. A 38-metre
Nordex rotor blade is one
of its most spectacular
exhibits.
Photos: ABO Wind
16 | OUTSIDE Germany
Nordex celebrates one gigawatt of total
capacity in the UK and Ireland
With the signing of the contract for the Nut­
berry project with Falck Renewables, Nordex
has achieved more than one gigawatt in total of
installed capacity in the UK and Ireland.
The company’s success is based on many years of experience
there – Nordex installed the first turbine in the year 2000 – and
all-round expertise in connecting large wind farms to weak grids.
On the occasion of the Nordex dinner at the Renewables UK
fair in October 2012, Bryan Grinham, Area Managing Director
EMEA North, and Tim Carpenter, Head of Sales, thanked the
invited guests for their part in reaching this milestone. In their
speeches, they praised the performance of the local partner
companies and the work put in by every single person for the
projects. To return a little of this support, Nordex asked its customer Falck Renewables to suggest an institution in the region
that urgently needed donations.
The institution selected was the Strathcarron Hospice in
Scotland, which looks after people with serious incurable illnesses.
Coleena Brodie from the hospice accepted the donation during
the event. She explained that the institution depends on private
donations, as the funding received from the National Health
Service in the UK was not sufficient. Text: jge
Milestone: Nordex has installed turbines with a
total capacity of one gigawatt in the UK and Ireland.
National subsidiary set up in Romania
Last year, Nordex established a national
subsidiary based in the capital, Bucharest, with a view to further expanding
business in Romania.
The first large order for the Chirnogeni wind farm
(80 megawatts), which is to be installed as of the
summer, marked the national subsidiary’s successful
entry into the market there. The customer for the
project is Iberdrola Engineering & Construction. The
wind farm will later be owned and operated by three
different companies, including the Marguerite Fund,
which is the largest shareholder, with a holding of
50 percent. The fund was set up by a group of leading European financial institutions and specialises
in the areas of energy, climate protection and infrastructure. A further 30 and 20 percent of the shares
respectively in the Chirnogeni project are held by the
private equity fund EnerCap Capital Partners and the
project developer EP Global Energy.
In eastern Europe, Romania together with Poland
have the largest market potential for wind energy. In
order to tap this potential it is important to have local
employees there. A very particular focus here is the
sale of the N117 wind turbine generator, as this is the
As early as 2011, Nordex
ideal machine for the wind conditions at most of the
potential sites. The prospects are good: by the end
of 2015, wind turbine generators with a capacity of
more than 3,000 megawatts are scheduled to be in
operation in Romania. Text: jge
connected two N100/2500
wind farms with a total
capacity of 20 megawatts
to the grid in Romania.
OUTSIDE UK/ Romania | 17
Midtfjellet:
A race against
the winter
Nordex found a clever way to get the better of the Norwegian
winter and will hand over the Midtfjellet project on time by
taking some special measures.
18 | OUTSIDE Norway
The island of Stord off the Atlantic coast of Norway. Here, Nordex
is building the Midtfjellet reference project for Midtfjellet Vindkraft AS. Following the start of installation work in summer 2012,
the first 21 N90/2500s are to be handed over to the customer in
April. This may have seemed like a relaxed timetable, but in fact
the Scandinavian winter made it quite a challenge.
How the project went
In autumn 2012, Nordex had commissioned the first machine,
putting everything right on schedule. “The completion of commissioning of the first turbine was an important milestone in handling
the project”, explains Nordex Project Manager Ali Eminel. “This
meant that we had completed the first step on time.” But now
winter was approaching. So the installation team had to get a
move on, as all 21 turbines were supposed to be in place before
the first snow arrived. “From the beginning of December until
the end of March, nothing at all can be done on the construction
site,” says Ali Eminel, “because during this period none of the
trucks with their tons of cargo can drive on the gravel tracks and
handling the cranes is too difficult.”
Flexible solutions
Nordex had offered the customer three solutions to speed up
progress on the project in order to keep to the tight timetable. For
instance, the team worked with a “pre-installation”. This means that
a first crane team sets up the lowest tower section. The transformer,
converter and switch cabinet can be installed before a second crane
team takes charge of the remaining installation. “In this way, we
were able to save around four hours time per turbine,” Ali Eminel
comments. Pre-installation was already completed in October.
Ole Vidar Lunde, Managing Director of Midtfjellet Vindkraft, notes:
Unfortunately, today the wind is too strong to install turbines.
The second measure entailed Nordex temporarily changing
to flexible working hours. The installation teams had said that
they were prepared to move the project forward in shift work.
The local authorities and the works council agreed, which made
it possible for Nordex to react flexibly when necessary. “In this
way, we were able to ideally adapt our working times to the local
time windows when there was no wind and make the most of the
day”, Ali Eminel explains. One team started at six in the morning
and was relieved by a second team, which worked into the night. ›
OUTSIDE Norway | 19
Four hours per turbine
are saved thanks to preinstallation, in which a
second crane team only
sets up the lowest tower
sections.
Photos: Stein Erik Gilje |
Inger-Marie Gilje
But what was to be done when there were no windfree time windows at all? In November, extreme wind
upset the ambitious timetable. Ali Eminel remembers:
“For three full weeks we could not do any installation.”
The solution was to concentrate on the finishing. “As a
project manager you have to be able to react flexibly,”
smiles Ali Eminel, “the weather is something you just
can’t control“. With this in mind, Nordex had already
prepared the installed bottom sections for wiring before
completing installation. So work on the construction
site did not have to come to a complete standstill in
the long windy phase. In this way, the team managed
20 | OUTSIDE Norway
to connect six of the 21 turbines to the grid by year’s
end. “This meant that our customers were able to earn
money with the first turbines as soon as possible”,
comments Ali Eminel. When the wind had dropped,
the team once again concentrated on technical installation, with the result that all 21 machines were in place
at the end of the year. Midtfjellet Vindkraft AS was
happy to pay the extra costs for these solutions. “We
wanted to meet the tight installation plan come what
may and are pleased that Nordex was able to offer us
flexible solutions for this,” says Erik Mortensen, the
customer’s project manager. ›
“We are happy that
Nordex was able to
offer us flexible
solutions.”
Erik Mortensen, project manager Østfold Energi
Project scope
The project comprises two construction phases and, with a total
of 110 megawatts installed capacity, will be one of the largest
wind farms to be installed in Norway in recent years. “Midtfjellet
will be the reference project for our future activities in Norway”,
says CCO Lars Bondo Krogsgaard. In the first construction
phase, Nordex installed 21 turbines from the N90/2500 series,
which are to be handed over in April. As of April, in the extension phase, Nordex will be setting up two different machine
types, 13 turbines from the N90/2500 series and ten turbines
from the N100/2500 series. In this way, the operator plans to
optimise his energy yield. The customer is Midtfjellet Vindkraft
AS, a joint venture comprising the power supplier Østfold Energi,
the municipal utility Fitjar Kraftlag and the independent power
station operator Vardar. Text: Sja
The island of Stord
Stord is located off the coast of Norway, at approximately the same latitude as the Shetland
Islands. The island is only 144 square kilometres in
size and offers a variety of geological features in a
very small space. Impressive glacier landscapes,
craggy coastal sections, isolated fjords and dense
forests huddle together on this small island. The
Hystadmarkjo Nature Reserve includes the largest black alder forest in northern Europe and the
plant emblem of the municipality of Stord is the
holm oak, which can be found all over the island.
The winters on Stord are dark, snow-filled
and long. In the months from October to March,
the sun can only be seen above the horizon for
a few hours a day. This means that daytime
temperatures on Stord are rarely above freezing before March and the Atlantic is only warm
enough to swim in for a few weeks in the
summer months. The highest points
on the island offer excellent wind
conditions. The Midtfjellet wind
farm is situated at an altitude
of 310 metres above sea
level, which means that it
is able to take advantage
of the strong winds to
produce electricity.
Oslo
Stord
Hamburg
Made it! All 21 turbines were in place in time for the start of winter.
Outside Norway | 21
Nordex helps
out in Pakistan
Jhimpir, Pakistan. In August 2012, construction work started for the first Nordex
wind farm in Pakistan. Although the outlook on the Pakistan energy market is
promising, Nordex project manager Richard Mouw’s first impression of the living
conditions of the local people was a sobering one. Even before construction work
starts, Nordex decides to help.
Photos: Frederik Schramm
22 | Outside Pakistan
OUTSIDE Pakistan | 23
“It’s difficult to deal with
the poverty here.”
Richard Mouw, Project Manager Nordex Energy GmbH
The children are pleased to get sweets –
and patiently wait their turn.
24 | OUTSIDE Pakistan
They are short of everything
that as many people as possible benefit
Together with FFC Energy Limited, the from them”, says Richard Mouw.
customer for the Jhimpir wind farm,
The company also refurbished three
Nordex carried out several aid projects in schools. “The buildings were in a catathe region last year. “The aim was to pro- strophic state”, recalls the project manager.
vide the locals with the bare necessities: “Cracked walls and floors full of holes,
water, electricity, intact public facilities and the sanitary installations were either
such as a hospital – all the things we take broken or poorly equipped.” Nordex also
for granted in Europe”, Richard Mouw provided the schools with pumps to ensure
explains. “It’s difficult to deal with the a better water supply. Swings were set up
poverty here.” Some 30,000 people live in the playgrounds. The only hospital in
all around the construction site, spread the region is located in the city of Jhimpir.
over many small villages. There is only Here, Nordex had a water tank repaired
one doctor for the whole region.
and water pipes replaced. The company
also procured a water cooler, as cool water
makes a hospital stay in weather of 26 °C
Investing sensibly
more tolerable for the patients. The most
A study made it possible to put specific recent activity by Nordex was to build a
measures in place. Among other things, gynaecological ward. “This is important,
the two companies commissioned studies because giving birth is still one of the most
on how many people live in the individual frequent causes of premature death for
villages, to determine the quantity and women here”, as Richard Mouw knows.
quality of the drinking water and the condition of public facilities such as schools, for
example. On the basis of this report, they No fear of contact
set up a number of projects with which The local people welcome the social comNordex could achieve the greatest benefit mitment of the turbine builder there. Richfrom the aid budget for the people there. ard smiles: “When we were assessing the
progress made with one project, the whole
village turned up.” The men ask about the
Aid activities
wind turbine generators. Sometimes the
Nordex provided four villages with water village elder invites the project manager to
filter systems and pumps, ensuring a sup- take tea with him. Then he may ask about
ply of clean, healthy drinking water. “We how the new filter system works and thanks
took care to install the filter systems so him for the aid. Wherever Richard Mouw
Clean drinking water is in short supply in the rural
regions of Pakistan. (In the photo: Nordex project
manager Richard Mouw.)
turns up, he is immediately surrounded by
a crowd of children. Because they know
that the Dutchman always has a bag of
sweets with him.
Modest wishes
He reports: “I am deeply impressed by
the modesty of these people. The children
line up patiently and each child takes only
one bit. Nobody ever pushes forward or
makes a grab with both hands. Although I
could well understand if they did.” Asked
what he needed for the hospital, the doctor requested a cooler box so that he can
take his medicines with him in spite of the
heat when doing home visits. The head
of a mosque wanted a ventilator.
Long-term aid
Richard Mouw has travelled to a wide
variety of countries as a project manager
for Nordex. But for him, the company’s
social project in Pakistan is a very special
experience. “I get to help other people
and am even paid for it. That’s a great
experience.” Nordex has already handed
over the Jhimpir project to its customer,
but this does not mean the end of the
aid activities. Richard Mouw looks to the
future. “We are already planning the next
wind farms in Pakistan, and I expect we
will be involved in similar aid activities
there as well.” Text: Sja
Nordex has refurbished three schools
altogether in the Jhimpir region.
OUTSIDE Pakistan | 25
Market share 2012
(contracts)
10 %
Nordex is market leader
Nordex has been very successful in entering the Pakistan market.
With a market share of 52 percent and a current 250 megawatts in orders
on the books, the company is the market leader.
15 %
52 %
23 %
52 % Nordex
23 % GE/CMEC
15 % Goldwind
10 % Vestas
Data: Alternative
Energy Development
Board (AEDB)
Presentation: Nordex SE
Last October, Nordex connected the 50-megawatt
turnkey project Jhimpir, the biggest wind farm in the
country to date, to the grid for the Group’s subsidiary
Fauji Fertilizer.
“We are planning new orders amounting to some
50 megawatts a year. This makes Pakistan the most
important Asian market for us outside China”, says
CCO Lars Bondo Krogsgaard. The Pakistan government
wants to cover around ten percent of the country’s
energy requirements by 2015 using renewable energies. MAKE Consulting projects an increase of some
1,700 megawatts of installed capacity for the wind
energy sector between 2012 and 2016. “Together
26 | OUTSIDE Pakistan
with a major local partner, we can also offer turnkey
solutions. This further strengthens our good position
in the market”, says Lars Bondo Krogsgaard.
In the second half of the year, Nordex will start
installing a 100 -megawatt wind farm for the Fauji
Foundation Group. The FWEL-1 and 2 project is being installed near Gharo, around 100 kilometres to
the east of Karachi. It is due to be completed at the
beginning of 2014 and will comprise a total of 40
N100/2500 turbines. Nordex founded the national
subsidiary around one year ago – 15 employees are
currently working there. The company’s head office
is situated in the capital, Islamabad. Text: Sja
Living on the building site:
a challenge
Day-to-day life on the building site in Pakistan is like living in
a tent village, as the entire infrastructure has to be provided
by the company. At the busiest time, some 800 people
were working on the construction site when “Jhimpir” was
being set up, although the actual installation team consisted
of just 50 people. On top of this, there were the employees
of several partner companies, for instance for building the
foundations. And finally, a large number of people were there
to provide for the workers. From buying food and consumer
goods, cooking and washing to waste disposal – everything
had to be organised locally. In addition to this, Nordex made
use of security personnel to ensure the safety of staff in the
camp and for all transfers in this politically unstable country.
Nordex project manager Richard Mouw: “Living on the site
is a challenge, but also a thrilling experience.”
OUTSIDE Pakistan | 27
Successful market entry
in South Africa
After establishing a local subsidiary, Nordex has now managed to break into the South African
market with two major orders for turnkey projects. At the end of 2011, the South African
govern­ment issued licences for the purchase of electricity (Power Purchase Agreements) in
the area of renewable energy for the first time. The volume for wind energy projects came to
634 megawatts. As a consequence of this, in summer 2012 Nordex set up a subsidiary on the
Cape and as the most successful bidder in the tender process initially achieved a market share
of 28 percent with the Dorper (100-megawatt) and Kouga (80-megawatt) wind farms.
Regional value added
Priority: local networking
The company is realising both projects with local project developers. Another investor in the Dorper project is the Sumitomo
Corporation. This major Japanese corporation also acts as an
operator in the USA, where it is currently investing in the largest wind farm in the world (Sheperds Flat, 845 megawatts) in
Oregon. The customer and operator of the Kouga project is Red
Cap Kouga Wind Farm Pty. The owners of this project development company include various companies and public-sector
institutions which have set themselves the target of supporting
regional economies in South Africa.
Both turnkey projects entail long-term service agreements which
come into effect after completion of the Dorper wind farm in
June 2014 and Kouga in November 2014. For this reason, too,
it is important for Nordex to be present there with a subsidiary
that not only handles existing orders and obtains new ones, but
also guarantees customers a high level of turbine availability
under the service and maintenance contracts. Anne Henschel,
Managing Director of Nordex Energy South Africa (Pty) Ltd.,
describes the situation there: “South Africa is a very difficult and
demanding market. The regulations are not yet really transparent and, in addition to this, all the projects are relatively large
compared to those in Europe. On top of this, we have to offer
our projects on a turnkey basis in order to be competitive.” This
means that networking and collaborating with suitable qualified ›
28 | OUTSIDE South Africa
contract partners represents quite a challenge. The law requires
a localisation rate of 40 percent in the medium term, which is to
be ensured by local infrastructure services and procuring steel
towers locally. Martin Sprinzl, Sales Manager EMEA South, sums
up: “For Nordex, this market is very interesting in the long term,
as we expect an average of 400 megawatts of installed capacity
per year. A share of around 15 percent for Nordex is realistic.”
Training specialists
To date, Nordex has a seven-person international team there.
Four experienced colleagues from Spain, England, Portugal and
Germany are handling the business in South Africa with three
local experts. This year, the company plans to take on eleven
more South African employees who will undergo training to be
technical service staff on the wind farms. In addition to theoretical
knowledge about wind energy and electrical engineering skills,
this also includes practical training on and with the products.
Our customers have promised the South African government to
support socio-economic development in the regions surrounding
the wind farms. For Nordex, too, creating jobs in the region and
local value added have high priority. As the two Nordex projects
are located in “Eastern Cape”, personnel from this region are
being prioritised for the new positions to be filled.
Positive outlook for 2013
Anne Henschel has high expectations for the coming year: “By
April, we want to have taken on all the staff required in Service,
as after all they will already be looking after the turbines in the
Dorper wind farm as of 1 July 2014. We will be installing these
wind turbines this year, in addition to which preparations will be
starting for our second project, Kouga. One focus of our work
will involve local activities on the market in order to position
Nordex strongly and make sure we get the follow-up business.
Of course, we also want to be successful in the third round of
the government tender and win further orders!” Text: jge
Recipe
Ostrich filet in
plum wine
for those South African
moments in life
Preparation time: approx. 30 mins
Resting time: approx. 1 day
Level of difficulty: normal
Ingredients for 4 portions:
800 g ostrich (filet)
10 kaffir lime leaves
(available in Asian shops)
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 litre plum wine
40 g plum purée
1 bunch of soup greens
2 carrots
2 onions
1 bunch of parsley
Cut into the meat and insert the kaffir lime
leaves. Mix a marinade of the sesame oil,
soy sauce, plum wine and plum purée
and let the meat absorb the marinade
for 24 hours. Chop up the soup greens,
carrots, onions and parsley and sprinkle
over the meat. Pour half a litre of plum
wine over it. Cook the lot in an oven for
half an hour at 170 °C. Cut the cooked
ostrich filet into strips and strain the
sauce. Ideally accompanied by gnocchi
and carrots as vegetables.
OUTSIDE South Africa | 29
Technical Lexicon
Part 1:
The rotor
Our “Technical Lexicon” section explains the central components
of a wind turbine generator. The motto is: complex matters made easy.
We start “right at the top and right at the front” with the rotor.
The rotor converts the kinetic energy of the wind into rotation
energy. The centrepiece comprises the rotor blades. These
have an aerodynamic profile because, like an aeroplane, the
machine makes use of the lifting force of the wind. The
wind creates suction on the upper side of the blade and
Market incentive systems
Part 1:
which is robust, light and economical. Carbon-fibre
reinforced plastic (CRP) is also used for the main
girders of the N117 blades. Although lightweight, CRP
is more rigid than steel or fibreglass, which ensures
stability. As with almost all competitors, each blade
is constructed in a differential form – in other words,
in two shell halves which are glued together and
reinforced inside by means of shear webs.
In the field, the blades are exposed to extreme
stresses from the wind and weather. They have to be
dirt-repellent and have their own lightning conductor
system. If you then consider that they have to work
for at least 20 years, it becomes clear why they have
to be tested under conditions that go far beyond the
stresses in the field.
Intelligent control: the pitch
The stronger the wind, the more lift on the blade
and thus the greater the output the turbine is able
to generate. However, this is only the case up to a
wind speed of between 13 and 16 m/s. This is when
Nordex turbines reach their rated output. When the
wind blows harder than this, the automatic rotor-blade
adjustment system, called “pitch”, comes into play.
The control system takes the blades slightly out of
the optimal angle of attack, or “pitches” them. This
slows the machine down, protects the generator
against overload and keeps the output constant up
to a severe gale of 20 to 25 m/s.
An intelligent option: anti-icing
In order to ensure availability at cold locations, Nordex
offers the option of an anti-icing system. This technical solution is suitable above all for frost regions,
as this is where ice can form on the rotor blades in
the winter months. Icing can reduce the efficiency
of a wind turbine generator as well as lower its
availability. The Nordex anti-icing system heats the
aerodynamically most important areas of the rotor
blades and efficiently reduces icing levels.
The German
Renewable
Energies Act
In this issue, our look at different market incentive schemes
takes us to Germany. In the early 90s, the Electricity Feed-in
Law already stipulated the systematic promotion of regeneratively created energy. In April 2000, this was followed by
the Renewable Energies Act (REA), which has since been
amended several times (most recently in 2012). A thorough
reform of the REA is expected soon.
The principle of the existing REA is simple: the operators
of systems for the regenerative creation of energy receive
a fixed remuneration rate per kilowatt hour (kWh), generally
for a period of 20 years. This remuneration is degressive – in
other words, the rates for newly installed turbines decrease
annually. And for older turbines, the remuneration is reduced
after the first years, depending on the energy yield already
obtained. A further special feature is “feed-in priority”. The
operators of regenerative power plants have the right to
the immediate and prioritised connection of their turbine to
the power grid.
The Renewable Energies Act is a success story. In Germany,
the proportion of renewable energies in electricity consumption has almost quadrupled from 6.4 percent in 2000 to
25 percent in the first half of 2012. Text: SBR
The electricity mix in Germany in 2011
14 %
8 %
5 %
19 %
20 %
6 %
18 %
3 %
25 %
Where is the trend pointing?
The larger the rotor surface, the more energy the turbine
is able to “harvest” from the wind. Hence, the trend
towards ever longer blades. This calls not only for new
solutions for the overall design of the machine but also
in logistics. It is no longer possible to transport the
blades everywhere on land. One possibility for the
industry would be split blades that are not assembled
until they are on site. Text: JHO
25 % Brown coal
3 %
8 % Wind energy
20 % Renewable energies
6 % Biomass
19 % Black coal
(incl. RE share
18 % Nuclear energy
household waste)
14 % Natural gas
3 % Hydroelectric power
5 % Other
3 % Photovoltaic
The share of renewable energies in power supply in Germany is to be increased
to at least 35 percent by the year 2020.
Source: Agency for Renewable Energies. As at: 12/2011.
Knowledge Market incentive systems | 31
COMING SOON:
GENERATION DELTA WITH
UP TO 31% HIGHER YIELD.
27 years of experience, 2,000 multi-MW turbines installed.
The next stage of evolution: Generation Delta – as of 2013.
www.nordex-online.com/delta