Copyright © BusinessAMBE 2023

2023 was a very difficult year for wind turbine manufacturers, and Siemens Gamesa in particular. The financial problems are far from resolved, but that does not stop the company from continuing to set the bar high. For example, Siemens Gamesa wants to install the "most powerful wind turbine in the world."

In the news: According to Recharge Siemens Gamesa is preparing to install what the company describes as "the most powerful wind turbine in the world." A test phase - if all goes well - will be followed by commissioning by the end of the year.

The details: EU support.

  • According to an internal EU document consulted by Recharge, Siemens Gamesa is preparing to install, test and commission a wind turbine of unprecedented power.
  • The Spanish subsidiary of the German giant plans to install the turbine at the Østerild test center in Denmark. The site, which has been used many times by Siemens Gamesa and Vestas, supplies power to several thousand households.
  • The development of the prototype is being supported with 30 million euros from the EU Innovation Fund.

The question: how much power?

  • The unknown factor is how powerful the wind turbine will be. Although it is described in the document as "the most powerful in the world," no figures are given.
  • At 16 MW, the most powerful wind turbines currently are Chinese-made. They are the models MySE16.0-260 (Mingyang Wind Power) and GHW252-16MW (Goldwind). In Europe, the record stands at 15MW, held by Vestas' V236 model.
  • We can imagine that the prototype soon to be tested by Siemens Gamesa will be even more powerful. Currently, the most powerful model has an output of 14 MW.

The problems with Siemens Energy's wind turbines.

Context: Siemens Gamesa is going through difficult times.

  • Recently, negative reports about Siemens Energy appeared almost exclusively.
  • In June 2023, management admitted that its products had been hit by production problems that were "much more severe than expected." In the aftermath, parent company Siemens Energy's stock price plunged nearly 50 percent on the stock market in a matter of hours.
    • These quality problems have delayed deliveries and orders. This is quite annoying, as the current climate is already very unfavorable for European wind turbine manufacturers.
  • The German company caused another panic among investors in October when it was announced that it was seeking guarantees from the German state to the tune of 15 billion euros.
    • Its boss, Joe Kaeser, tried to reassure the markets. "Siemens Energy was simply looking for guarantees on its loans to ensure strong growth in the future. So no liquidity crisis in sight," he sounded.
    • A few weeks later, Germany announced a major plan: €7.5 billion guaranteed by the state and another €7.5 billion from private banks and shareholders (including Siemens).
  • Still, the German company posted a net loss of 4.5 billion euros for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

© The Content Exchange, source News