Gamesa aims at taller, more efficient turbines

Spanish wind turbine maker Gamesa seeks to focus on boosting its supply chain capabilities in the next 2-3 years in a bid to be more cost-competitive. It also plans to double its installations to about 800 MW during the current calendar year when compared to 2013.

“India is primarily an IPP (independent power producer) market and cost of energy is most important criterion,” Ramesh Kymal, Chairman & Managing Director, Gamesa India, said. “Since land is becoming scarce, we need to improve the efficiency of the turbine in order to make sure it generates same output what it did a few years ago,” he said, adding, “every manufacturer will look at reducing cost of energy by improving the software and putting larger rotor blades, among others’’.

The company, which recently completed commissioning of 1,000 MW in India, seeks to offer taller wind turbines due to deterioration in availability of quality land in the country.

Later this year, it will launch a 104-metre wind turbine, which will promise lower costs for the power producers.

Though Gamesa has localised up to about 85 per cent in its machines, it is looking at further opportunities and to add more suppliers, who may be located close to its manufacturing operations.

On multi-MW turbines (2MW and above) for higher generation, Mr. Kymal stated that unless infrastructure improved dramatically larger turbines would not come in big numbers in the country.

Gamesa India commissioned over 400 MW in 2013, and the Indian operations contributed about 22 per cent to the group’s global revenues in the calendar year.