Siemens Gamesa unveils SG 4.7-155, adding new turbine to 4.X platform

Siemens Gamesa SG 4.7-155 turbine

Wind turbine specialist Siemens Gamesa has added a new turbine to its 4.X platform, the SG 4.7-155, to significantly increase energy production at low wind sites.

The SG 4.7-155 has a nominal power rating of 4.7 MW and comes with OptimaFlex technology, enabling it to operate between 4 MW and 5 MW. Siemens Gamesa will enhance the platform by one of the two rotors developed for the more powerful Siemens Gamesa 5.X platform.

This approach, which was also implemented on the SG 3.4-145 launched in July, optimizes the R&D investment and industrial capital expenditure, and reduces the development cycle, improving the time-to-market of new products, Siemens Gamesa said.

The development of low wind turbines is especially important for already well-developed onshore wind markets where the space for higher wind sites is limited. By increasing the size of the rotors, wind turbines are therefore capable of providing a successful business case to produce higher clean energy production even with lower wind conditions.

“This type of modular approach using the best of our onshore innovation will help us lower the cost of energy for them and offer the best solutions for the energy transition,” Siemens Gamesa Onshore CEO, Lars Bondo Krogsgaard said.

The model will use a 76-meter blade made of fiberglass reinforced with pultrude carbon, integrating innovative aerodynamics to guarantee the best balance between high energy production and reduced noise emission levels.

The annual energy production in average low wind conditions is 5 percent higher than that of the SG 5.0-145. The turbine also has a low noise output of 105 decibels, making it suitable for countries with strict noise restrictions such as France.

The lifetime of the new turbine has been increased to 25 years from 20 years at IEC-Class 3 sites, says Siemens Gamesa.

Siemens Gamesa said a prototype of the new model is expected to be ready by mid-2021, with the start of production planned for the end of 2021.