The Klondike III wind farm east of Wasco, Oregon, is testing a new 2.4-megawatt (MW), 92-meter rotor wind turbine manufactured in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHVYF.PK). The turbine, erected at Klondike last winter, is designed for ease of transport, capability to assemble using smaller cranes than other turbine its size and resistance to storm winds and lightning strikes.
One of the key safety features of the Mitsubishi turbine is called
"Smart Yaw," which, when certain conditions are present, rotates the
machine in a reverse configuration so the machine acts in a "weather
vane" pattern during high wind speeds and changing wind directions.
This lightens the wind load on the turbine so that it can cope with
higher forces, even as high as a storm blowing at 156 miles per hour, according to a release. At the low end, the turbine can
generate electricity in winds as light as six miles per hour.
The Mitsubishi MWT92 turbine is currently the largest turbine in the Iberdrola Renewables (IBR.MC) fleet in the United States. Iberdrola operates the Klondike wind farm.
The Mitsubishi 2.4 MW turbine also is being installed at another Iberdrola Renewables wind farm on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Iberdrola Renewables has ordered 169 2.4-MW Mitsubishi turbines for use in wind power projects scheduled for completion this year and next.
The Klondike Wind Power Developments encompass four individual wind power projects: Klondike I, Klondike II, Klondike III and Klondike IIIa, located in Central Oregon on private ranches and farms on the Columbia River Plateau. Together, these wind energy projects generate a total of 400 MW.
While the Klondike project spans thousands of acres of private land, the actual footprint is less than 2% of the total area. Landowners continue using the remainder of the land for wheat farming, ranching and other traditional activities.
About Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas
Mitsubishi Power
Systems Americas is the Western-hemisphere subsidiary of Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries (MHVYF.PK) specializing in power generation systems
sales, installation and service. Wind turbine generating equipment and
systems are a core element of Mitsubishi’s alternative energy product
line, which includes solar, geothermal and hydroelectric generating
systems.
About Iberdrola Renewables
Iberdrola Renewables is currently the world’s leading provider of wind power with more than 8,000 MW of wind power in operation globally now. Between 2008-2012, the company will invest $26.8 billion globally to achieve installed capacity of close to 18,000 MW and production of more than 42,000 GWh. Iberdrola Renewables will invest $8 billion in the U.S. between 2008 and 2012 and plans to install 1,000 MW of wind power each year in the U.S. www.iberdrolarenewables.us.
Loading...