Spain's Gamesa said on Oct. 6 that it had signed an agreement to jointly develop offshore wind technology with the largest shipbuilder in the United States, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding.
Under the deal, the two companies will install Gamesa's first G11X-5 megawatt turbines in the United States by the end of 2012.
"Our alliance with Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding will give us the opportunity to test our technology on a short-term horizon, as well as to enhance and strengthen it," said Dirk Matthys, the CEO of Gamesa's U.S. branch. "This partnership further demonstrates Gamesa's continuing commitment to, and expansion in the North American market with both land- and sea-based wind turbine technology."
Offshore wind projects totaling more than 5,000 megawatts have been proposed and are in the planning or development stages in the United States.
New generations of turbine systems that offer higher installed capacity will be required in order to meet the expected rise in demand for offshore wind energy in the medium- and long-term.
Gamesa said it is working on the rollout of another family of offshore turbines, with a capacity of 6-7 megawatts, of which a preliminary version could be available by 2014.
The company has 30 manufacturing facilities in Europe, the United States, China and India and an international workforce of over 6,300 people.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010
