Wind Turbines are getting Bigger and Bigger
It is not technology that is holding back the development of the super-turbines of the future, it’s logistics. Today, wind turbines have become so big that the transportation and thus road traffic determines their size
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The physical and technological development of wind turbines is proceeding in two parallel directions at the moment: Wind turbines are getting bigger and bigger, and their output is being optimised correspondingly. The same size of wind turbine that could yield x-number of kW just a few short years ago now yields almost double that, and the trend is continuing. This imposes extreme requirements as to weight and strength of materials.
“We can handle all of that,” says Geert Skovsgaard, managing director of Bach Glasfiber A/S in Hurup, Denmark. Bach Glasfiber produces turbine housings, so-called nacelles, for some of the biggest manufacturers of wind turbines in Denmark.
“The main problem facing the wind turbine industry today is that of logistics and transportation. The turbines are becoming so enormous that it’s getting more and more difficult to transport them by road, and even erecting them – often on remote mountain tops – is becoming increasingly difficult. Finally, there are the logistics problems associated with actual production. We are talking about massive pieces that must be on hand in the correct sequence, at the right time.” From having been a general producer of fibreglass items for a large number of takers, Bach Glasfiber has developed into a strategic partner for wind turbine manufacturers. One of the implications of this is that more and more of the work – both the development work and actual production – is carried out by Bach Glasfiber. The company is involved at a far earlier stage in the development process, and is involved to a higher degree in shaping the development of the new generations of wind turbines.
“We are experts when it comes to large quantities of large items,” says Thorkild Bach, technical director of the company. He originally started the company by building fibreglass boats, but came in contact with the wind turbine industry in the early 1990s. Ever since, Bach Glasfiber has followed the explosive growth in the industry. Turnover has increased tenfold over the last seven years and, at the start of the New Year, the company began using a brand new factory, enabling an overall rationalisation of production.
“The new production facilities allow full automation of production and hence greater flexibility, better utilisation and control. And that also gives us the opportunity to shoulder a much greater part of the responsibility on behalf of the wind turbine manufacturers,” says Thorkild Bach. “Because even though we do not manufacture wind turbines, we think wind turbines. By always staying ahead of developments, we are able to meet the needs of the wind turbine manufacturers as soon as they arise.”
www.bach-glasfiber.dk
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