Under the agreement, Alstom will supervise the project; L.U.T. – the biggest research and education unit in the Finnish energy sector
French multinational conglomerate Alstom will partner with Lappeenranta University of Technology and two Finnish companies in a research and development cooperation agreement for wind turbines.
In cooperation with Finland-based companies TuuliTapiola ky and TuuliSaimaa Oy, Alstom’s agreement with Lappeenranta University of Technology will help deepen the understanding of how wind turbines respond under arctic climate conditions and help improve their operations, performance, and reliability. In addition, their research teams will also study the application of advanced ice detection sensors.
Under the agreement, Alstom will supervise the project; L.U.T. – the biggest research and education unit in the Finnish energy sector – will provide academic expertise through the participation of their professors and researchers; while the wind farm of TuuliMuukko – which is jointly owned by TuuliTapiola ky and TuuliSaimmaa Oy – in Muukko will provide the staging ground for empirical R&D activities.
“We are excited about the start of the R&D cooperation with Lappeenranta University of Technology and TuuliMuukko. The cooperation will definitely strengthen our know-how and presence in the Nordic wind power market,” said Markus Alholm, president of Alstom Finland.
“I believe the research to be conducted in Muukko will help us further improve the production efficiency of TuuliSaimaa’s wind farms,” said Petteri Laaksonen, managing director for TuuliSaimma. “Regarding the technology improvements I expect an even better de-icing process, improvements in production automation and turbine controls in order to increase the annual electricity production in the future.”
The agreement between Alstom, L.U.T., and the two Finnish companies was signed during the inauguration of TuuliMuukko’s 21 megawatt wind farm in Muukko, which utilizes seven of Alstom’s 3.0 MW ECO 110 wind turbines which are suited for medium to low wind sites.
With the 21 MW-wind farm’s completion, Finland’s installed wind power capacity has reached 323 MW, totaling 176 wind turbines. According to Alstom, Muukko is one of the biggest onshore wind farms in Finland, producing 40 GWh annually, meeting the needs of over 3,000 houses with electrical heating. – EcoSeed Staff