GE presents 3-MW onshore turbine platform for N America

May 18 (Renewables Now) - GE Renewable Energy on Tuesday officially presented a new 3-MW class onshore wind turbine platform for the North American market, saying it has already secured over 1 GW of orders for it.

The Sierra platform’s 3.0 MW-3.4 MW turbine has a 140-metre (459-feet) rotor and a 68.7m two-piece blade. The machine can be installed at various hub heights.

The new platform was launched more than a year ago when the manufacturer installed two prototypes in Texas and in India’s Karnataka state. According to GE, the Sierra turbines are operating with a four-points higher capacity factor than machines from its 2-MW platform.

“This is a turbine that was designed specifically for the future needs and unique challenges of the region [..],” said Pat Byrne, CEO for GE’s Onshore Wind business.

GE Renewable Energy will make the new turbines at its factory in Pensacola, Florida, while blades for them will be manufactured by its unit LM Wind Power and US wind blades maker TPI Composites Inc (NASDAQ:TPIC). A significant portion of the components will be sourced from the North American region.