Whole package helps drive wind turbines

Siemens wind turbine technology is helping Harbon Wind Turbines offer increased reliability in its wind turbines.

The Doncaster-based manufacturer supplies units with rated power of around 60kW to farmers and small businesses with relatively low energy requirements.

The company approached Siemens Mechanical Drives about gear units and generators just over a year ago, since when Harbon has built a 60kW trial turbine unit and a number of 55kW units using Siemens products at the heart of the drive system. The gear unit is a low noise Flender FZA 188B K4 with in-line Siemens motor and shaft directly beneath.

Chris Harbon commented: "Being able to obtain gearbox and motor from a single supplier is also very important to us. We like the whole package - support, technical knowledge, the fact that it's a technically advanced unit; all these factors matter to us and help us develop our own business."