The GE Brief: January 5, 2021
Happy New Year! This particular Jan. 1 brought hopeful tidings of a better 2021, and some encouraging news involving renewables: a story on the front page of the New York Times Business section about the most powerful offshore wind turbine in operation that is “upending an industry.” GE Renewable Energy’s Haliade-X offshore wind turbine has indeed made a big splash in the renewable energy world. The Times’ Stanley Reed set out to explain just how significant an advance it represents in what the newspaper termed “a renewable energy arms race”: One single Haliade-X 13 MW, for instance, can power the equivalent of 12,000 homes. The Haliade-X has “turned heads in the industry,” the article noted. “It is changing the business calculations of wind equipment makers, developers and investors.”
The new energy outlook: As developers around the world plan ever-larger offshore wind installations, those calculations add up in the Haliade-X’s favor. GE Renewable Energy was recently selected as the preferred supplier for Vineyard Wind, an 800-megawatt installation off the coast of Massachusetts, and GE also announced last month that it would be installing an iteration of the Haliade-X capable of generating up to 14 MW — the most powerful version yet — to Dogger Bank C, the third phase of what is set to be the world’s largest wind farm, off the coast of the U.K. (Dogger Bank’s first two phases will also use the Haliade-X.) What makes the Haliade-X so special? Click here for an illustrated explainer.
The Haliade-X’s moment in the spotlight isn’t the only big renewable news of the year so far: This week the utility Pattern Energy announced that 377 2-MW turbines from GE will power its Western Spirit Wind project, which will consist of four separate wind farms in central New Mexico. When completed, Western Spirit Wind will deliver more than 1,050 MW — and help New Mexico meet ambitious energy goals. The state aims to get half its electricity from renewables by 2030, and 80% by 2040.
On the open plains: Turbine deliveries have begun already, with commercial operations planned to start before the end of the year. The 377-turbine order, which includes a 10-year full-service agreement, will be capable of powering the equivalent of 590,000 homes. Western Spirit Wind will rely on turbines ranging from 2.3-2.8 megawatts in nameplate rating, and use various tower heights to optimize wind capture. “GE Renewable Energy is delighted to work with Pattern Energy on the Western Spirit Wind project, and continue our strong relationship,” said Tim White, CEO of GE Renewable Energy for Onshore Americas. “GE’s 2-MW platform is extremely well-suited to the region, with 98%+ availability to help ensure the reliability of sustainable, affordable, renewable energy delivery to the region. We are proud to be a part of helping New Mexico work toward its renewable energy goals.”
Learn more about the agreement here.
As 2020 came to a close, the GE Foundation — the company’s philanthropic arm — reflected on its work not just over the past year but over the past decade, on commitments including community health, STEM education, disaster relief and COVID-19 response efforts. “2020 has been one of the most trying years yet as the world continues to respond to the fight against COVID-19,” wrote Linda Boff, GE Foundation president and GE’s chief marketing officer, in a LinkedIn post. “But if we’ve learned anything so far, it’s that we can make a difference by coming together.”
Constant commitment: See a reel of 10 Highlights Over 10 Years here, and if you want to dig deeper into the GE Foundation’s work — GE Reports has you covered. Over the years, we’ve written about the foundation’s initiatives to promote safe surgery in Southeast Asia; its funding of science, technology, engineering and math education in GE’s backyard in Boston; its efforts to provide relief in the wake of a natural disaster in Indonesia; its support of solutions to the opioid crisis in Massachusetts; and, of course, its rapid response in the spring of 2020 to help fund research into and treatment of the new coronavirus. “We’re always willing to step up whenever and wherever we possibly can to make a difference in a time of crisis,” said David Barash, the foundation’s executive director, at the outset of the COVID-19 crisis. That’s as true now as it was 10 years ago — and will remain true in years to come.
— QUOTE OF THE DAY —
“The one thing I learned in my career is never doubt the capability of GE’s engineering talent, regardless of the technology.”
John Lavelle, CEO of Offshore Wind at GE Renewable Energy
Quote: GE Reports. Images: GE Renewable Energy, Getty Images.