SPONSORS OF INDUSTRY NEWS
ZF SERVICES UK MAKES STRATEGIC ENHANCEMENTS TO ITS WIND TURBINE GEAR BOX BUSINESS
A market leader in transmission and gearbox service and repair, ZF Services UK Limited has made significant advancements to its wind turbine business since its move into the market back in June 2009. Following the successful completion of ZF’s acquisition of Hansen Transmissions International NV; ZF Services UK is making its mark locally too, with the recent expansion of its wind turbine gearbox overhaul facility in Nottingham – a welcome response to growing demand for its products and services from the UK operating industry.
FACILITY EXPANSION STRENGTHENS LOCALISED SERVICE OFFERING Following the completion of ‘Phase 2’ of the three stage expansion of its facility, ZF Services UK has already doubled the size of its overhaul capacity by extending the workshop floor area, the travel of its 30t crane and the productivity of its Overhaul Validation Test Rig. This demonstrable commitment to the UK wind turbine market reflects growing demand for its products and services from the UK operating industry, with ZF Services UK now having achieved approved supplier status from four of the top operators.
OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE FIRST GLOBAL INSTALLATION OF A VERGNET 275KW GEV MP R WIND TURBINE
The first Vergnet wind turbine installation in the UK and first customer GEV MP R installation in the world, was officially opened at F.W. Read and Sons, makers of award winning Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
On a 32m monopole tower with a 32m blade diameter, this turbine is the first of its class to get planning in an Area of Outstanding National Beauty because of careful consideration to its siting and the economic benefit to the business.
“It is amazing to be milking cows and making cheese using the power of the wind. With the help of ICE Renewables and Vergnet we are able
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www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
to use an abundant natural resource to generate our own electricity on the farm and that is hugely exciting.” said Tim Jones, Director of F.W. Read and Sons.
This is one of a growing number of medium scale offset distributed generation schemes, whereby power is provided to homes, businesses or communities with excess power exported to the grid. In this instance the power is being supplied to the buisness, the dairy and the house with the excess being exported back to the grid.
Celebrating the opening ICE Renewables CEO Julian Martin said, “ICE Renewabes are proud to have brought the Vergnet
The expansion will enable ZF Services UK to build further on its unique offering to provide localised support services and UK-based overhauls to both onshore and offshore wind farm operators. It addresses one of the problems faced by UK wind farm operators in that of achieving wind turbine service and repair within a narrow timeframe; thereby minimising turbine downtime and revenue interruption, and reducing maintenance costs. Key to this
objective to achieve technology leadership and worldwide presence across all of its business units.
Headquartered in Belgium, Hansen is one of the leading wind turbine gearbox manufacturers, with a strong market position in the multi-megawatt segment. In addition to its manufacturing facilities located in Lommel (Belgium), Hansen also has manufacturing and assembly plants in India and China, bringing the capabilities to a level of 7,600 MW per annum. The Company employs approximately 1,450 people worldwide. In the fiscal year which ended on March 31, 2011, Hansen generated revenues of more than € 378 million.
success in the UK is its industry trained technicians, rigorous quality systems and the adaptability to meet customers’ needs.
STRATEGIC INVESTMENT The expansion has proven timely with the completion of ZF’s acquisition of Hansen Transmissions International NV; a move to further strengthen ZF’s strategic
As a result, ZF strengthens its comparably young wind power technology unit. In addition it will be able to use the growth potential of this market segment at an advanced pace. ”Hansen fits perfectly with our Company, from both a strategic and operational perspective. It adds sound knowhow in wind turbine technology to our own, long established R&D competencies in driveline technology,” said Hans-Georg Härter CEO of ZF. “Through Hansen’s products we will further expand our own portfolio with wind turbines from less than 1 MW to more than 6 MW capacity. This will ensure we are active in all important growth markets and we will have manufacturing facilities in the US, in Europe and Asia.“
turbine to the UK shores. We have been in discussion with Vergnet for four years, formalised our relationship 18 months ago with a contract worth £35 million for an exclusive distrubutorship and now the Lincolnshire Poacher turbine marks the first of an increasing number of medium scale wind turbine projects to be realised across the UK over the next few years. ICE Renewables and Vergnet mean serious business in the rapidly growing medium wind sector as the UK heads towards its 2020 renewable energy targets”.
F.W.Read and Sons then held an open day, which included morning and afternoon sessions which provided interested parties with an ideal opportunitiy to learn more about the turbine direct from the Manufacturer Vergent, Suppliers, Installers and Operator ICE Renewables and from the turbine owners themselves.
ICE Renewables Ltd
www.icerenewables.com
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