Indian wind turbine-maker Suzlon has installed and commissioned what it claims to be the tallest wind turbine on a hybrid concrete tubular (HCT) tower.
Image: Suzlon installs 140m tower for 2.1MW turbine. Photo: Courtesy of Suzlon Energy Limited.
Suzlon has installed its new S120 2.1 MW turbine on a hub height of 140m and it is located at its Tirunelveli site in Tamil Nadu.
The company stated that the 140m HCT tower is a combination of concrete base and foundation supporting a tubular steel tower where higher hub heights can be achieved, while avoiding the exponential increase in the weight and costs of an all-steel tubular tower.
As per Suzlon, the new HCT tower can make low wind sites viable. The concrete tower was constructed onsite, using pre-cast in-situ to ensure quality control and it is internally reinforced with high strength steel cables.
The tower is claimed to be a perfect fit in the competitive bidding regime, where large scale utility projects between 200MW and 500MW are being installed and commissioned.
Onsite construction can be used where 100 and 200 wind turbines are installed at one wind farm, as the molds can be re-used. This can significantly reduce the cost of logistics.
The new S120 rotor uses Suzlon’s 2.1MW platform, which offers an increased rotor diameter of 120m. Suzlon claims that the new rotor uses enhanced pitch control systems to reduce overall loads.
This technology helps increase from the S111 to S120 while maintaining the same nacelle. The turbine uses Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) technology which can integrate turbines into the utility network, to meet grid requirements.
Suzlon Group CEO J.P. Chalasani said: “The Indian wind energy market is evolving due to the transition to competitive bidding and it has become crucial for us to offer technologically advanced products that are best suited for sites in India and ensure higher return on investment (ROI) to our customers. We continue to invest in R&D with an aim to develop innovative products that reduce the levelised cost of energy (LCoE).
“We pioneered the country’s first Hybrid Lattice Tubular (HLT) Tower in 2014 and now introduce the country’s tallest Hybrid Concrete Tubular Tower.”