Siemens will supply sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 )-free, gas-insulated 8VM1 high-voltage switchgear (GIS) to Siemens Gamesa for East Anglia ONE wind turbines. The 102 units of SF 6 -free GIS will be delivered to the turbine manufacturer by mid-2019.
The switchgear will protect each wind turbine individually against overloads and short-circuits, and make it possible to supply electricity reliably and without interruption.
Developed for wind farms, the 8VM1 from the blue GIS portfolio operates with vacuum circuit-breaker technology and with clean air instead of sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) as the insulating medium, Siemens explains.
The 8VM1 blue GIS, which is a further development of the switchgear technology that operates with SF 6 is part of Siemens’s blue portfolio.
As a result, not only the generation of power but also its transmission and distribution are climate-neutral. Moreover, the use of vacuum switchgear technology with clean air as the insulating gas makes it possible to minimize expenditures for operating and maintaining the switchgear.” – Siemens.
Karlheiz Kronen , CEO of the High Voltage Products Business Unit within the Siemens Energy Management Division, said: “Customers can benefit from both economic feasibility and an excellent degree of environmental compatibility. We worked together with the customer at a very early stage in the project and found the optimum solution for installing the switchgear in the base of the turbine.”
Located 45km offshore Lowestoft, the 714MW East Anglia One wind farm will comprise 102 Siemens Gamesa 7MW turbines expected to be fully operational in 2020.
The construction at the project site is underway, with jacket foundation installation in progress .