Wind energy is one of the fastest growing sources of electric power today. Global wind capacity reached almost 500 GW cumulative in 2016 according to GWEC, having grown in average by more than 50 GW in each of the last three years. This high level of new installations will be maintained globally in the coming years.
Yet despite this growth, the wind power industry is facing pressure to reduce costs as government subsidies diminish and as operators demand more cost-effective wind parks, faster installation and commissioning times, faster payback times and comprehensive wind location studies. In addition, optimal wind locations are getting rarer, which puts additional challenges onto the industry, e.g. to harvest Wind at low wind or to install wind farms at remote sites with specific needs in terms of serviceability and connection the plant to the grid.
As one of the largest independent suppliers of electrical components as well as a technology leader in connecting wind farms to the grid, ABB is key enabler for the wind industry. ABB supports customers along the complete power value chain to plan, generate, connect, transmit, monitor and control power from wind farms as well as to maintain and optimize their systems. ABB builds components and subsystems that integrate seamlessly within the nacelle and with all the infrastructure outside of it.
Our medium-voltage products for wind power include a complete range of switchgear solutions and substation components for onshore and offshore applications. SafeRing/SafePlus is the slimmest medium-voltage switchgear on the market and small enough to fit through the narrow doorway of the turbine tower. It is designed specifically to meet the switchgear requirements of wind turbine manufacturers for compactness, safety and flexibility.
ABB is a pioneer and technology leader in the area of medium-voltage products and solutions, with decades of experience in manufacturing, installing and servicing these robust products.
ABB’s comprehensive portfolio of medium-voltage products and solutions are product-certified according to a wide range of international standards, including IEC, IEEE, ANSI and GOST. We also offer a comprehensive portfolio of service offerings such as engineering and consulting, extensions and retrofits, and end-of-life services.
ABB is your long-term, trusted partner with sales and service competence in over 100 countries.