On 17 May, Siemens Gamesa inaugurated a new Gamesa Electric technology and manufacturing centre in the Madrid town of San Fernando de Henares, where systems with a capacity of up to 10MW will be tested.
The new Gamesa Electric plant is an electric systems centre equipped with two test benches for testing and validating systems of up to 10MW output. The new electric systems will be applicable in the wind and photovoltaic power industries, as well as in other high-potential segments such as energy storage, according to Siemens Gamesa. The new centre will also manufacture power electronics equipment.
“Not only will it enable us to meet the industry’s current demands, it will prepare us for future developments thanks to the ability to test systems of up to 10 MW,” said Enrique Pedrosa , CEO of Siemens Gamesa’s Onshore Division in Southern Europe and Africa.
The centre, which is an expansion and upgrade of the facilities previously operated in Coslada, is worth EUR 3 million and covers some 8,400m². Almost half of the area is taken up by the test benches, while the rest of it houses the manufacturing lines for the production of power electronics for the wind power, photovoltaic and energy storage segments.
In total, there are 183 people working at the centre, 20% more than last year (at the facility previously based in Coslada).
Siemens Gamesa’s currently most powerful offshore wind turbine in use has an output of 7MW, while the company plans to have its 8MW offshore wind turbine market-ready in 2020.