ENERCON Unveils E-175 6-MW Wind Turbine
ENERCON is adding a new top model to its product range. The new E-175 EP5 has a rotor diameter of 574 ft. (175 m) and a nominal power of 6 MW. The wind energy converter (WEC) is designed for low- to medium-wind sites (IEC Wind Class S). “We offer our customers high-quality products for the small-, medium-, and large-rotor segments,” said ENERCON CCO of Sales and Service Ulrich Schulze Südhoff. “With the E-175 EP5, we are launching one of the largest rotor diameters currently available to the European market, thus adding a highly competitive wind energy converter designed especially for the low-wind segment to our range. The new WEC is an important milestone in our effort to further reduce the cost of energy. We continue listening closely to our customers and develop powerful, reliable products that are optimally suited to meet their requirements. Our objective is to have a product portfolio that perfectly fits the market.”
“The E-175 EP5 features the tried-and-tested ENERCON direct drive and a highly efficient, yield-optimized permanent magnet generator, making it another attractive option for our customers and an alternative to the gear-based competition,” said ENERCON CCO of Project Management Frederic Maenhaut. “In most of the market regions across the world, the cost of energy is the deciding criteria. With the E-175 EP5, we are launching the right machine at the right time.”
Other key details of the E-175 EP5 include: E-nacelle with built-in latest-generation electrical systems for faster installation on site and optimum integration into electrical energy networks, tried-and-tested low-maintenance ENERCON direct drive concept, a 282-ft. (86-m) rotor blade developed by ENERCON — the longest blade ever — with hub heights available up to 535 ft. (163 m), the possibility of site-specific tower variations depending on the project, and a design service life of 25 years. “The new WEC generation contains a lot of ENERCON DNA,” said ENERCON CTO Jörg Scholle. “With this model we are building on core ENERCON competencies and technologies that are deeply embedded in our history. The E-175 EP5 is an embodiment of our company’s present-day development philosophy.”
The prototype installation is planned for 2023 and 2024, with the start of series production planned for 2024.
ENERCON Lands Deal With VALOREM
Shortly before unveiling the E-175, ENERCON announced the signing of a contract for a 14-MW wind farm with developer Valorem for the installation of 6 E-82 E4 wind energy converters on the site of Ceilhes-et-Rocozels (Hérault, France) with a total capacity of 14.1 MW.
This is the first collaboration between ENERCON and VALOREM. The deal shows that while wind turbine and blade manufacturers continue to make bigger and better products, smaller solutions are still fitting for many new projects. “We are delighted with this first collaboration between our group and ENERCON and hope that it will be followed by many other achievements on our projects in France and in Europe,” said Philippe Tavernier, deputy general manager of the VALOREM Group.
“ENERCON is proud to sign its first contract for a wind farm with the independent French developer Valorem,” said Frederic Maenhaut, chief commercial officer of Projects at ENERCON. “The Amoures Bouissac wind farm is an ambitious project, which requires a lot of control and management in terms of transport and installation, as it is located in very mountainous territory. ENERCON, already experienced in Haut-Languedoc, will be able to meet the challenge alongside the Valorem and Valrea teams.”
The Amoures Bouissac wind farm will produce 36 GWh annually, equivalent to the electricity consumption of 11,000 inhabitants and representing nearly 55% of the residential consumption of the community it is located, for a total investment of US$24.5 million. The development of the Amoures Bouissac project began in 2001 and planning permission was granted in 2016. While waiting for a solution to connect to the electricity grid, VALOREM has chosen to optimize its project by increasing the length of the wind energy converter blades by 20 ft. (6 m), increasing the expected green electricity production of the wind farm by more than 20%.
The wind farm is scheduled to be commissioned in early 2024. The WECs will be allocated to ENERCON’s maintenance base in Soubès, which already manages 120 MW (66 WECs) and employs six technicians to date.
ENERCON South France has recently reached 1 GW of installed capacity in the Occitania, PACA, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions. Since the installation of the first maintenance base in Mende in 2007, 478 wind energy converters have been built in these regions. A total of 78 people (including 65 technicians) in seven maintenance bases and two sales offices support the south of France, giving ENERCON a 42% share in this area.
