Dong Buys 300 Siemens' Turbines for U.K. Offshore

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) -- Danish energy major, Dong Energy A/S (Fredericia, Denmark), has agreed to buy 300 of Siemens' new 6-megawatt (MW) wind turbines for a number of offshore projects currently underway in the U.K.

The wind turbines will have a combined generating capacity of 1.800 MW and the deal is estimated by analysts to be worth approximately €2.5 billion ($3 billion). The SWT-6.0-154 direct drive wind turbines from Siemens AG (NYSE:SI) (Munich, Germany) will be installed at Dong windfarm projects off the U.K. coast between 2014 and 2017.

"Offshore wind energy has huge potential," stated Michael Suess, member of the Managing Board at Siemens AG and CEO of the Energy Sector. "Offshore wind conditions are strong and stable enabling an energy yield which can be about 40 percent higher than onshore. The United Kingdom, Denmark and Germany in particular are counting on the future of offshore wind energy. Together [with Dong] we are working to further reduce the overall costs for this environmentally-friendly form of power generation."

Carsten Krogsgaard Thomsen, acting CEO of Dong Energy, added: "The agreement will enable Dong Energy to install a significantly larger and more efficient wind turbine from 2014 compared to what we know today. The agreement is a key element of Dong Energy's objective to significantly expand offshore wind. The supply of the new turbines totalling 1,800 megawatt is an important step for the growing wind industry and will help make offshore wind more competitive".

Dong said it will install two of the new 6 MW wind turbines for testing at Gunfleet Sands offshore windfarm, later this year. The U.K.'s target for 2020 is to have 18,000 MW of offshore wind energy in place, which is equivalent to approximately 18% of the country's electricity demand.

The SWT-6.0-154 has a rotor diameter of 154 meters, with blades measuring a record-breaking 75 meters, according to Siemens. Each 6 MW turbine, which is almost twice as powerful as turbines in use at existing Round 2 offshore windfarms around the U.K., can generate enough power for around 6,000 homes.

Dong and Siemens are currently working on a number of U.K. offshore windfarm projects, including Lincs, London Array and West of Duddon Sands.

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