Finland: The Switch and Moventas to Deliver First Order for FusionDrive

Moventas, one of the industry’s leading wind gear manufacturers, and The Switch, a leading supplier of megawatt-class permanent magnet generator and full-power converter packages, today announced they are delivering the first commercial order for FusionDrive®, the smartest gear and generator combination in the market.

The first delivery is going to Germany-based DeWind, one of the most experienced technology companies in the wind energy sector today and a subsidiary of DSME (Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering co ltd.).

 “We think FusionDrive® is the next big thing for the wind industry. It includes the benefits of a hybrid drive, but Moventas and The Switch have taken the integration even further. We are very pleased and excited to join them in this pioneering project,” says Dr. Sungkon Han, Managing Director of DeWind Europe.

FusionDrive® is the answer to the challenge of turbines needing to be bigger in size and power, while the race is on to lower the cost of energy. Using reliable medium-speed wind power generation technology, FusionDrive® is the smallest and lightest combination of gear and generator. Studies have confirmed that it is a technically optimized solution to keep the rotational speed limited. What is perhaps most important to both the turbine manufacturer and the energy provider, FusionDrive® provides the highest energy yield and the best serviceability in the market.

FusionDrive® enables the drive train’s small size, which means manageable transport and assembly. This combined with the lowest weight in the market improves total turbine cost competitiveness.

 “FusionDrive® requires minimal maintenance. The gear and generator can be split, and all components are changeable in the nacelle enabling best serviceability in the market. This combined with the highest energy yield makes FusionDrive® a smart, sustainable choice of power transmission,” adds President and CEO at Moventas, Mikael Laine.

 “Our drive train expertise expands from direct drive to medium and high speed solutions. We add value by collaborating, and together with Moventas, we have managed to notch up the expertise of our two companies to a whole new level of innovation. This allows us to bring the newest drive train solution to turbine manufacturers,” explains President and CEO Jukka-Pekka Mäkinen from The Switch.

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Offshore WIND staff, April 18, 2012; Image: theswitch