Suzlon Group today announced the installation and commissioning of India’s tallest Wind Turbine Generator (WTG) with a Hybrid Concrete Tubular (HCT) Tower. The first prototype of S120 – 140m HCT has been commissioned at the Tirunelveli site in Tamil Nadu.
The 140m HCT tower is a combination of concrete base and foundation supporting a tubular steel tower that enables higher hub heights while avoiding exponential increase in the weight and costs of an all steel tubular towers. The new HCT tower will make low wind sites viable. The concrete tower was constructed onsite, using pre-cast in-situ ensuring control on quality and internally reinforced with high strength steel cables. The HCT tower is a perfect fit in the new competitive bidding regime, where large scale utility projects of 200 – 500 MW are being installed and commissioned.
Constructing on site can be leveraged when 100 – 200 WTGs are being installed at one wind farm, as molds can be re-used and logistics costs are greatly reduced.
The new S120 capitalizes on Suzlon’s 2.1 MW platform and offers an increased rotor diameter of 120 meters. The S120 rotor incorporates 4 th generation rotor aerodynamics and enhanced pitch control systems to reduce overall loads. This technology allows the increase from the S111 to S120 while maintaining the same nacelle.
The S120-WTG features the time tested Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) technology that efficiently integrates wind turbines into the utility network, to meet the grid requirements. Suzlon’s newest next generation turbine combines the production efficiencies and parts commonality of the 2.1 MW platform along with superior wind regimes available at 140m to support the competitive tariff environment in India while protecting customers return on investment (ROI).
J.P. Chalasani, Group CEO, Suzlon Group 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.”
Duncan Koerbel, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Suzlon Energy, said “Our R&D efforts are concentrated on innovation across the board, be it in tower technology, blades or control systems, with a single point focus on reducing the LCoE. Suzlon does not believe in one size fits all and is providing solutions for the whole country. We are capitalizing on tried and tested 2.1 MW platform and manufacturing operations and making it even better with a new 120 meter rotor. We have had huge success with our Hybrid Lattice Tubular (HLT) tower technology and the newly developed HCT tower will broaden our portfolio.”