The Siemens Energy Sector says that in addition to water power, wind and solar energy are among the most important regenerative energy sources.
As the worldwide demand for electricity keeps on growing, and is expected to rise by 70% by the year 2020, renewable forms of energy make it possible to sustain economic development while providing secure energy and climate protection over the long term.
“The prospect of a great future lies in this energy mix,” says John Hazakis, director of renewable energy at the Siemens Energy Secyor. “As a global market leader in turbines for solar thermal power plants as well as offshore wind farms, the Siemens Energy Sector offers its customers a comprehensive portfolio of renewable energy solutions.”
From the air
In the wind energy market, Siemens specialises in highly-efficient, solid and reliable wind turbines for large-scale onshore and offshore applications, and is able to connect offshore wind farms to land-based power grids. This capability is critical for future development, as according to Greenpeace, wind turbines installed on only 3% of Europe’s sea area could meet 30% of Europe’s demand for electricity.
“Having built hundreds of wind farms, Siemens has extensive experience in the development of wind turbines,” Hazakis adds.
The growing use of wind power reduces carbon dioxide emissions, helping countries to meet their climate protection targets and improve the security of their energy supplies. Although wind energy currently meets only about 1% of the world’s demand for electricity, industry estimates indicate that it has the potential to provide 12% by 2020. Also, according to the German Federal Wind Energy Association, the costs of wind energy have fallen by 53% since 1990, and wind energy is becoming 4% cheaper in real terms every year.
Wind turbines operate on a simple principle: The kinetic energy of the wind is turned into rotary motion by the rotor blades and converted into electric current by a generator. A wind turbine can convert up to 59% of the kinetic energy into mechanical energy. Allowing for conversion losses, modern systems achieve a yield of some 45%. The amount of power that can be extracted from the wind is determined primarily by the design of the rotor blades and the speed of the wind.
Worldwide, Siemens wind power plants installed a total capacity of 7000 Megawatts (MW), saving up to 11 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year compared to the power production of fossil-fuelled power plants. The company is installing one of Europe’s largest onshore wind farms with a 322 MW output in Scotland. The rotor blades are cast as a single piece using Siemens’ own patented production method, so there are no bonded joints or weak spots. The result is maximum quality, performance and availability.
Siemens’ stated objective is to further strengthen its presence in the growing wind energy business, and the company is aiming to more than double its sales volumes over the next five years.
From the sky
The advantage of solar energy is that the fuel is free, abundant and inexhaustible. In the face of global warming, with energy policies calling for wide-scale use of renewable and sustainable technologies, solar projects are also proving increasingly valuable in the reduction of energy use and costs.
To produce power with solar thermal technology, sunlight is directed onto a focal point using parabolic reflectors. This achieves temperatures high enough to use the resulting thermal energy to drive steam turbines. As a result, they can generate power without producing any carbon dioxide emissions.
In this market, Siemens offers the SST-700 industrial steam turbine, which can deliver up to 130 MW of electricity. Thanks to its short start-up times and a fast load change, the turbine is particularly suitable for solar thermal power plants that are operated only in phases.
“Over the next 20 years, 40% of worldwide investment in the power generation market will be directed towards renewable energies, and Siemens Energy Sector is confident of building a sustainable business based on solar, wind, biomass and geothermal energy,” concludes Hazakis.
For more information contact Keshin Govender, Siemens Southern Africa, +27 (0)11 652 2412, keshin.govender@siemens.com, www.siemens.co.za
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