Winergy bets on full powertrain solutions for wind turbines

German gearbox supplier extends range from components to integrated systems. Windpower Monthly’s Eize de Vries finds out more.

A finished 10 MW gearbox is brought into a horizontal position after vertical assembly

With a track record of supplying 100,000 gearboxes totalling over 200GW of installed capacity to the wind industry, Winergy is one of the world’s leading brands for wind turbine drives and service. Now under new ownership, the Germany-based company has expanded its scope from components supplier to integrated drive systems provider.

The new strategy is an answer to market demands for drive systems Capex reduction, with a key focus on high torque density at system level, standardising and systems integration for its powertrain solutions.

According to Edwin Hidding, Winergy's head of product and project management, the company foresees a growing role for medium-speed systems in the future— including Winergy's HybridDrive. Becoming a key supplier of integrated powertrain systems is also one of the key focus areas in the company's business strategy. "This latter trend fits into a major ongoing wind industry trend to produce pre-commissioned, ready-to-install full powertrains (or drivetrains) and deliver these directly to wind-farm construction sites, rather than supply them in separate main components to nacelle assembly plants first," Hidding explains.

Read the whole article of Eize de Vries online at Windpower Monthly