China orders AMSC wind components

31 January 2009


Plans by a Chinese firm to ramp up production of wind turbines is a sign that the country’s wind energy industry is bucking the trends of the global economic downturn, according to American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC).

CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Research Institute Co. Ltd. (CSR-Zelri) has placed an order with AMSC for 100 sets of core electrical components for use in 1.65 MW wind turbines. The multi-million dollar order will allow the Chinese firm to increase production of the wind turbines, which it manufactures under license from AMSC’s wholly-owned subsidiary AMSC Windtec.

“China’s wind industry continues to move forward at an aggressive pace through the global economic downturn, and further growth is projected for the next decade,” said Du Jinsong, general manager of CSR-Zelri’s wind power business unit. “AMSC Windtec’s wind turbine designs, localization and supply chain support and proven power electronics allowed us to quickly enter this rapid growth market and aid in meeting China’s objective to increase electricity supply while also reducing carbon emissions.”

The core electrical components include AMSC’s PM3000W power converter, which controls power flows, regulates voltage, monitors system performance and controls the pitch of the wind turbine blades. AMSC expects to ship the components by the end of 2009.

“CSR-ZELRI has done a tremendous job of ramping up production of high quality wind turbines in a very short time,” said Greg Yurek, founder and chief executive officer of AMSC. “We expect CSR-Zelri to continue its rapid growth and to take a significant share of the Chinese wind turbine market in the years ahead.”

The order will also boost AMSC’s presence in China’s wind power market, which is thought to have almost doubled its installed capacity in 2008. Last year AMSC signed an agreement with Shenyang Blower Works to manufacture and sell its 2 MW wind turbine in China.

According to the Chinese Wind Energy Association, China was forecast to grow its base of wind power from 5.9 GW at the end of 2007 to more than 10 GW in 2008. The Global Wind Energy Council forecasts that the country’s installed base of wind capacity to reach as much as 201 GW by 2020.




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