March 12, 2012
Suzlon Group announces S8X; next generation low-wind 1.5 MW turbine for India
Pune: Suzlon Group, the worlds fifth largest wind turbine maker*, announced its
latest turbine in the 1.5 MW range focused on harnessing Class III, low-wind sites.
The new turbine is specifically designed to deliver high efficiency and cost effective
power generation even at low wind speeds, therefore increasing the size of the
market and making wind power projects even more financially competitive than they
are today.
The S8X, scheduled for launch in 2012, is designed specifically for the Indian market
where the majority of potential lies in medium-to-low wind sites. This turbine is
designed with advanced rotors, with diameters of 86.5 and 89 meters, and a tower
height of 90 meters, which will bring improvements in energy yields of between 15
to 20 percent over the current S82 1.5 MW offering in low wind conditions.
Additionally, the S8X is designed specifically to operate in high temperatures, and to
meet the current and future grid requirements in India.
This turbine is an evolution of the proven S82 1.5 MW platform, with
approximately 2,400 MW in installations consistently delivering 97 percent plus
availability (uptime). The new design also incorporates several key features from the
S9X suite of turbines, helping to achieve higher reliability, improved power output,
higher safety and improved lightening protection. Like the S9X, the new turbine
offers an improved pitch and yaw system, hub assembly, main frame and other key
components, ensuring easier maintenance, greater reliability and higher uptime.
Speaking on the subject, Mr. John OHalloran, President, Technology Suzlon
Energy Limited, said: This marks an extremely important step forward in our
product strategy. The S8X builds on our extensive operating experience with our
highly successful S82 1.5 MW fleet in some of the most challenging environments
in the world. The development program drew extensively on feedback from our key
customer groups primarily PSUs and IPPs in India to create a product that meets
their current and future needs, and provides consistently improving returns on
investment.
The S8X features advanced blade designs and highly efficient control systems to
optimize loads and performance delivering higher reliability, significantly improved
energy output and ultimately, increased financial performance for our customers.
These turbines will be built to the latest guidelines issued by certification agencies,
with even more advanced and stringent testing standards than previous guidelines.
Added Mr. Tulsi Tanti, Chairman Suzlon Group: We are very pleased to bring
this cutting edge offering to the market. The S8X represents our relentless
commitment to continuously improve our products and services to meet the exact
needs of our customers, today and in the future.
As the Indian wind market continues to grow at over 40 percent per year, we
believe the S8X will be a game changer in the high-growth 1.5 MW segment
delivering higher reliability, uptime, energy production and ultimately greatly
improved returns on investment to customers over its lifecycle.
