WINDBLATT

ENERCON Ma gazine
for wind energ y
Issue 02 | 2009
www.enercon.de

ENERCON IN FRANCE
Wind farm inaugurations in
Brittany and the
Massif Central
Page 6

POLICY
The power station fleet of the
future: Nuclear energy
jeopardises energy revolution
Page 8

JOB PROFILES
Rotor blade service
technicians: Blade
maintenance at lofty heights
Page 10

TECHNOLOGY
Wind turbine footings:
ENERCON foundations solid
Page 12

INTERVIEW
Claudia Kemfert: Emissions
trading needs dynamic
ceilings
Page 16
 INTERNATIONAL SALES OFFICES
ENERCON ADDRESSES
ENERCON GMBH, INTERNATIONAL DEPT.
Otto-Lilienthal-Str. 25 · 28199 Bremen · GERMANY
Phone +49 421 2441 510 · Fax +49 421 2441539
Page 3 Editorial
e-mail: sales.international@enercon.de

ARGENTINA
ENERCON Soporte Area Argentina
ENERCON News
Blanco Encalada 1204-4/B
C1428DCJ Ciudad de Buenos Aires · Argentina Page 4 News from the ENERCON world
Phone + 54 11 47 886 114 · Fax + 54 11 47 886 114
e-mail : windpower@ciudad.com.ar

AUSTRIA Title Story

ENERCON Austria Ges.mbH · Hauptstrasse 19
2120 Wolkersdorf · AUSTRIA · Phone +43 2245 82828
Fax +43 2245 82838 · e-mail: enercon@vienna.at
Page 6 ENERCON in France:
BALTIC STATES/EAST ASIA Wind farm inaugurations in Brittany
ENERCON Denmark · Bredkær Parkvej 62
8250 Egaa – Denmark
and the Massif Central
Phone +45 / 87 / 430388 · Fax +45 / 87 / 430344
e-mail: joern.kristensen@enercon.de

BELGIUM Policy
ENERCON Services Belgium BVBA· Sales Belgium
Bernhard Fink · Stationsstraat 97 Page 8 The power station fleet of the future:
B-2440 Geel · BELGIUM
Phone +32 14 591 611· Fax +32 14 591 612 Nuclear energy jeopardises green
e-mail: bernhard.fink@enercon.de

BRAZIL
energy revolution
Wobben Windpower Ltda.
Av. Fernando Stecca nº 100 · Distrito Industrial CEP 18087450
Sorocaba · São Paulo · BRAZIL
Phone +55 15 2101 1700 · Fax +55 15 2101 1701
Job Profiles
e-mail: wwp@wobben.com.br
Page 10 Rotor blade service technicians:
CANADA
Michael Weidemann · ENERCON GmbH Blade maintenance at lofty heights
International Sales Department
Oesterweg 9 · 59469 Ense · GERMANY
Phone +49 2938 9720 17 · Fax +49 2938 9720 49
e-mail: michael.weidemann@enercon.de Technology
FRANCE
ENERCON GmbH bureau français
Page 12 Wind turbine footings:
1, rue des Longues Raies · ZAC des Longues Raies
F-60610 La Croix Saint Ouen · FRANCE
ENERCON foundations solid
Phone +33 3 44 83 67 20 · Fax + 33 3 44 83 67 29

GREECE
ENERCON GmbH · Greek Branch Supplier
20, Pentelis Avenue · 15235 Vrilissia, Athens · GREECE
Phone +30 210 6838 490 · Fax +30 210 6838 489 Page 14 Block Transformatoren-Elektronik
e-mail: sales.hellas@enercon.de

ITALY
GmbH & Co KG: Robust winding
ENERCON Italia goods for WEC control systems
Via Luciano Manara, 5 · 00044 Frascati (Roma) · ITALY
Phone + 39 06 94 01 69 1 · Fax + 39 06 94 01 69 299
e-mail: info@enerconitalia.it

LUXEMBURG & THE NETHERLANDS Energy Policy

ENERCON Benelux BV · Paxtonstraat 1 a
8013 RP Zwolle · THE NETHERLANDS Page 16 Claudia Kemfert: Emissions
Phone +31 38 4228 282 · Fax +31 38 4228 010
e-mail: sales.benelux@enercon.de trading needs dynamic ceil
NEW ZEALAND
ENERCON GmbH · Andrea von Lindeiner · PO Box 340206
Birkenhead · Auckland 0746 · NEW ZEALAND Addresses & Events
Phone +64 9 4199 231 · +49 4941 976 959-147
e-mail: andrea.vonlindeiner@enercon.de Page 2 ENERCON Addresses
PORTUGAL
ENERCON GmbH
Page 9 Info-Service
Sales Portugal · Parque Empresarial de Lanheses
Lugar de Segadas · 4925 424 Lanheses
Viana do Castelo · PORTUGAL
Phone +351 258 803 500 · Fax +351 258 803 509
e-mail: sales.portugal@enercon.de

SPAIN Imprint
ENERCON GmbH Sucursal en España
Ronda de Auguste y Louis Lumière 23
Publisher: ENERCON GmbH · Dreekamp 5 · 26605 Aurich · Germany
Edificio 21 A · Parque Tecnológico Phone +49 4941 927-0 · Fax +49 4941 927-109 · www.enercon.de/en/_home.htm
46980 Paterna (Valencia) · SPAIN
Phone +34 961 824 558 · Fax +34 961 828 143 Editorial office: Volker Uphoff, Ruth Brand, Teelke Bojarski
e-mail: enercon.spain@enercon.de
Printed by: Steinbacher Druck GmbH, Osnabrück, Germany
SWEDEN Copyright: All photos, illustrations, texts, images, graphic representations, insofar as this is not expressly stated to the
ENERCON Energy Converter AB
Stenåldersgatan 19 · 21376 Malmö · SWEDEN contrary, are the property of ENERCON GmbH and may not be reproduced, changed, transmitted or used otherwise without
Phone +46 40 143 580 · Fax +46 40 222 420
the prior written consent of ENERCON GmbH.
e-mail: scandinavia@enercon.de
Frequency: The WINDBLATT appears every three months and is regularly included in the “new energy”, magazine for renewa-
TURKEY
ENERCON GmbH · Sales Turkey ble energies, of the German Windenergy Association.
Holger Bohlen · Dreekamp 5 · 26605 Aurich · GERMANY Subscribe: Phone +49 4941 927-667 or www.enercon.de/en/_home.htm.
Phone +49 4941 927-0 · Fax +49 4941 927-109
e-mail: holger.bohlen@enercon.de Cover photo: E-70/2.3 MW wind farm in Villesèque-des-Corbières near Narbonne/France.
 EDITORIAL WINDBLATT 02 | 2009 3

Dear Readers,
On June 7th, voters in the European Union decide on the composition of the European
Parliament for the next five years. Crucially, this will set the course for the successful imple-
mentation of the directive that stipulates a 20 % renewables share of final energy consump-
tion by the year 2020. After the summer break, the states will determine how they actually plan
to fulfil their obligations to expand the utilisation of renewable energies. With the options for
joint goal achievement, states can now introduce common promotion systems and jointly
claim the increases achieved through them – an opportunity for those countries where
promotion regulations have hitherto been weak to establish the requisite priority for renewa-
ble energies and fixed feed-in tariffs.

In the electricity sector in particular, many EU countries have demonstrated in recent years the
kind of dynamic growth that is possible when suitable framework conditions with fixed feed-
in tariffs are in place. Portugal for example is well on its way to increase the renewables
share in electricity consumption from 18.4 % in the year 2005 to 39 % in 2010 – with wind
power providing the lion’s share. France has increased its installed wind power almost five-
fold in the years since 2005.

The course set for the remainder of the power station fleet of the future, however, is also of
crucial importance. The expansion of all renewable energies requires flexible power plants that
can balance the fluctuations of electricity demand and electricity feed-in. If nuclear and new
coal-fired power plants throw us back to times long thought overcome, the renewal of our
power supply system will be set back by years. With their inflexible operation style, nuclear
power plants cement the old power station fleet. Grids and pumped storage systems – indis-
pensable complements to the decentralised renewable power station fleet – are blocked by
the unwieldy giants. The urgently needed expansion of the grid would not benefit the decen-
tralised energies of the future; rather, it would only serve to transport the electricity from
fewer fossil and nuclear large-scale power plants across long distances. For this reason, after
the election the new European members of parliament must correct the disastrous decision to
promote investments in nuclear energy.

Yours sincerely

Aloys Wobben
Managing Director ENERCON GmbH
4 WINDBLATT 02 | 2009 NEWS

wind energy converter production facilities in

Aurich, Germany. He was given a tour of the
Mechanic final assembly plant and the
Aero rotor blade factory; ENERCON Managing
Director Aloys Wobben and Production Mana-
ger Klaus Peters showed the visitor around the
production facilities. Pöttering showed himself
impressed. Speaking of its Europe-wide ope-
rations coupled with strong roots in the
region, he called ENERCON “a European
showpiece company”.

Hans-Gert Pöttering also discussed with

ENERCON Management the political frame-
work necessary for achieving the goal Europe
has set itself with regard to the utilisation of
renewable energy sources – a 20 % share of
regenerative energies in the total final energy
consumption within the EU by the year 2020.
More than 400 guests listening to the podium discussion on ENERCON’s stand at Hanover Fair.
Klaus Peters referred to Germany’s Renewa-
ENERCON at Hannover Messe 2009: market share is expected to rise from 10 to 14 ble Energy Sources Act as an elixir of life for
Maximum yield with innovative grid percent,” said Hans-Dieter Kettwig. the industry. “Wherever there are regulations
technology like the Renewable Energy Sources Act in pla-
The Hannover Messe is an umbrella event for One of the topics of the podium discussion ce, regenerative energies are really making
13 individual trade shows. For the launch of with guest speakers, Andreas Ufer, Senior Vice progress,” said the Production Manager. Aloys
the new “Wind” show ENERCON marked its President of Power, Renewables and Water at Wobben emphasised the importance of ho-
presence with an innovative stand design. KfW IPEX Bank and Klaus Meier, Chairman of nouring existing agreements – for instance
Compared to the former stand, the new stand wpd AG was the outlook on economic deve-
concept is more modern and open and thus lopment in the sector. In summary: Once
well suited to the more central location in the financiers have scrutinised in particular inter-
new Hall 27. national projects, growth in on-shore wind
energy will soon pick up its usual trend.
The exhibit is much brighter and features
ENERCON’s current corporate identity. Since it Another key focus was on special ENERCON
is more spacious, more visitors not only had Grid Management Systems. A clearly arranged
room to listen to ENERCON’s presentations but exhibit illustrated facilities to ride though grid
were also able to follow a podium discussion faults as well as to provide reactive power in
– a new highlight at ENERCON’s exhibit. order to stabilise voltage. Also on display was
ENERCON’s Farm Control Unit (FCU), a control
Plenty of space was available for 400 to 500 system solution for the grid interaction of en- Captivating discussion on guided tour: ENERCON
guests to listen in on presentations given tire wind farms. “ENERCON wind farms thus Managing Director Aloys Wobben explaining
details to Hans-Gert Pöttering (left).
Thursday by Managing Director, Hans-Dieter even comply with grid operator requirements
Kettwig and Chief Production Manager, Klaus for feeding power into ultra-high voltage
Peters. In his presentation, Kettwig announced grids,” explained Stephan Wachtel, ENERCON regarding the nuclear phase-out – for the
a performance figure of over 3 billion Euros for Sales Technical Support Manager. expansion of a climate-friendly and economi-
ENERCON’s 2008 operations. In total, 2.8 GW cal energy supply system such as has been
of wind power were installed. For 2009, he initiated by the German promotion policy for
President of the EU Parliament
predicted a growth of 20 to 22 GW of new in- renewable energies. “Renewable energies
Hans-Gert Pöttering visits ENERCON
stallations worldwide. “As the number of will form the base load of the future; they
ENERCON turbines installed will continue to In April, Hans-Gert Pöttering, the President of need a flexible power station fleet in order to
grow compared to 2008 figures, our world the European Parliament, visited ENERCON’s be able to flourish,” said Aloys Wobben.
 NEWS WINDBLATT 02 | 2009 5

Hans-Gert Pöttering pointed out the great im- “This is an important day for both parties and concerning the duration of the crisis as well as
portance of the European Parliament for poli- we are extremely happy to be able to present the development of the exchange rates vary
tics in the regions – noticeable for example in the contract at this conference organised by dramatically from each other.
the energies sector. the German-Norwegian Chamber of Commer-
ce,” said Robin Borgert, ENERCON’s sales area Nevertheless there is light at the end of the
manager for Norway during the event in Oslo. tunnel: Polish regulation authority URE set part
Norway: ENERCON delivers eight wind “This means that out of the five delivery con- one of the tariff system, based on the price for
energy converters to Kvalheim Kraft tracts concluded in Norway since 2005, four the conversion of fossil fuels into electricity, to
have gone to ENERCON.” 155.44 PLN/MWh; the so-called substitute fee
Picture: German-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce

that also represents the maximum price for

the certificates that form part two of the tariff,
Wind market Poland: Light at the end was raised to 258.89 PLN/MWh. The question
of the tunnel is now what portion of the theoretical maxi-
About 600 participants attended a conference mum price of 414.33 PLN/MWh operators can
hosted by the Polish Wind Energy Association actually enforce in their electricity purchase
PWEA in Warsaw in April; they showed them- contracts depending on the contract duration.
selves cautiously optimistic about the deve-
lopments in the country’s wind energy sector. The Polish themselves consider their currency
Many Polish project planners and investors as undervalued. They are expecting an exchange
Kristin Ankile and Tommy Fredriksen of Kvalheim well as other involved parties mostly from rate of at least 4 PLN/Euro in the medium
Kraft (left) as well as Robin Borgert and Söhnke Western Europe would, however, have liked to term. The resulting tariff of about 10 cent/kWh
Schierloh of ENERCON (3rd & 2nd from right) after hear a clear commitment by policy makers to would presumably spark off the innumerable
the signing of the Mehuken contract at the
the expansion of the renewable energies sec- projects. It remains to be seen how the inter-
German-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce.
tor. But the politicians failed to use the oppor- national banks will evaluate the Polish market.
tunity that the conference provided. As a German financial institutes for one, with their
At the 5th wind energy conference hosted by result, discussion forums and hallway chats great potential and extensive know-how in the
the German-Norwegian Chamber of Commer- focused mostly on the technical aspects of wind energy sector, are so far barely present.
ce in Oslo last March, Norwegian wind power wind energy and the current financial crisis
company Kvalheim Kraft AS signed a contract and how to overcome it. Be that as it may, real security will probably
with ENERCON for the delivery of eight E-70 not be achieved until Poland actually introdu-
wind turbines with 64 metres hub height. The current economic and financial crisis has a ces the Euro as planned. Prime Minister
firm grip on Eastern Europe, too. The Polish Donald Tusk has announced that the neces-
ENERCON will build the 2.3 MW turbines in the Zloty e.g. plummeted, dropping from its long- sary steps will be taken. It remains to hope
Mehuken wind farm on the island of Vågsøy in standing average value of about 3.6 PLN/Euro that the economic and political conditions will
the Sogn og Fjordane district about 300 km as far down as 4.8 PLN/Euro. As a result, barely allow him to realise this plan quickly.
north of Bergen. They are due to take up ope- any wind energy
ration by the end of 2010 and produce about projects are
53 million kWh of electricity per year. With 8.6 being realised at
to 9.4 m/s at hub height, wind speeds here are the moment. It is
very favourable and typical for Norway. not only the weak
currency that is
Kvalheim Kraft AS has been operating wind causing problems
energy converters at this site since 2001, with on the market
a total power of 4 MW. The company is owned right now; most
by two utilities headquartered near Oslo – banks are reluc-
Vardar from Drammen and Østfold Energi from tant to provide
Sarpsborg. For its investment into the Mehu- the financing
ken II wind farm, Kvalheim Kraft receives needed for typi-
support from the Norwegian public energy cally large-scale
agency ENOVA. The wind farm is one of only wind projects. In
two new wind energy projects supported by addition, the dif-
ENOVA last year. ferent forecasts ENERCON wind farm in Darzyno, Poland.
6 WINDBLATT 02 | 2009 TITLE STORY

ENERCON in France

Wind farm inaugurations in

Brittany and the Massif Central
These days in France, almost
every other month sees a new
ENERCON wind farm taking up
operation. While projects used to
cluster primarily in the North of
the country, ENERCON now
builds more and more wind tur-
bines in the West, the South, and
in central regions. Thus the ope-
rators of the community-owned
wind farm in Plélan-le-Grand in
Brittany hosted a great wind
festival last May to celebrate the
inauguration of six E-82 turbines
with 98 m precast concrete
towers. Meanwhile in the Massif
Central, the first wind farm of
the department of Puy-de-Dôme
took up operation. Le Saulzet E-48 wind farm (Puy-de-Dôme) in May, situated at 1,200 metres above sea level.

The shareholders of Brocéliande Energies operating company and initiator of the wind ergies Locales with twelve shareholders was
Locales wanted to organise a big spring farm. In 2002, the group became convinced founded. From the inception of the project
festival to celebrate the inauguration of that a wind farm in Plélan-le-Grand would until the inauguration of the wind farm, the
their wind farm in Plélan-le-Grand in Brit- make sense. “Our goal was to generate shareholders talked to local residents about
tany. Although the six E-82 turbines in the clean energy at a reasonable price. We also the wind farm almost on a daily basis. “For
small town 35 km west of Rennes have al- wanted to create a locally-based project example, we developed different models for
ready been producing power since January, that would offer an investment opportunity the lease payments to land owners and far-
the time for the festival only came in May. to anyone interested in becoming a share- mers because ultimately, they hold the key
On 16 May, about 4,000 visitors attended holder,” remembers Saultier. The organisers to a fair distribution,” explains Saultier.
the official speeches, took a tour of the to- also had the ambition to take into
wer bases, and enjoyed a performance of consideration the opinions of all affected The pride of the community
sea songs and chanteys. A food buffet and parties and to inspire people in the region to Saultier can now look upon the fruits of his
drinks were served, and the festival conclu- become more environmentally conscious – efforts: The high public acceptance of the
ded with a great Breton dance evening. in particular to reduce energy consumption. wind farm was demonstrated not least by
the great number of visitors from the 3,500-
Plélan-le-Grand: Community- The group financed the required expert re- inhabitant town who came to the inaugura-
owned wind farm as basis ports and resolved all issues not related to tion festival. Seven local clubs and associa-
“There was a group of twelve local resi- the technology as such. Then the project tions helped with organising the event,
dents who set this project in motion,” says entered the implementation phase: At the serving drinks, and setting up and decora-
Patrick Saultier, Managing Director of the end of 2004, the company Brocéliande En- ting the food buffet. More than 80 volunteers
 TITLE STORY WINDBLATT 02 | 2009 7

helped organise the festival. “The wind tur- the tower bases. Working with local youths,
bines have become the pride of almost the artist designed a painting with flowers
everybody in this town,” reports Saultier. and bees; if it proves effective, more artwork
“The involvement in the project has streng- is planned for the other wind turbines.
thened the social bonds in our community.”
Le Saulzet, Auvergne: First wind
In France, community-owned shareholder farm on Puy-de-Dôme
companies may not have more than 99 The Le Saulzet wind farm in the department
members. The Plélan wind farm company of Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne, is expected to
has 70 shareholders who in total raised produce about 50 million kilowatt-hours of
550,000 euros making up about 35 % of the green electricity per year. It was inaugura-
company’s equity. The remaining financing ted in early May with a wind festival at
came in July 2007 from Belgian regenerati- 1,200 metres of altitude. The 26
ve energy producer Electrawinds. Even after E-48/800 kW wind turbines have been on
the Belgians joined, Patrick Saultier stayed the grid since February. Paris-based wind
on as managing director and key figure in farm development and operating company Paintings as protection against graffiti.
the wind farm company. EOLFI, a subsidiary of Véolia Environne-
ment, operates 18 of the turbines. The re- The municipalities want to use the tax reve-
Expertise in wind farm maining eight turbines belong to Jean- nue from the wind farm for the construction
development Robert Costes and his company Zanieres of a new tourist centre. Moreover, the ne-
Saultier lives right next to the wind farm and Eoliennes, based in the town of Roche- cessary service and maintenance work on
checks on the turbines every day. Under the Charles-la-Mayrand where some of the tur- the wind turbines will create four new jobs
ENERCON PartnerKonzept service agree- bines have been built. in the region.
ment, servicing and maintenance of the tur-
bines is provided by the ENERCON Service A crucial factor for the success of this pro- “The location in the Massif Central and the
team located near Brest – in close coopera- ject, too, were the strong local roots through construction period from August to January
tion with Saultier. Based on his positive Zanieres Eoliennes as well as the commit- presented our installation teams with some
experience with developing the project in ment of Bernard Veissiere, mayor of the challenges,” says Peter Schuster, ENERCON
Plélan-le-Grand, Saultier founded a consul- municipality of Ardes-sur-Couze within sales director for France. At times, the
tancy company that works with communi- whose boundaries another part of the wind teams had to work at extremely cold tem-
ties in the region who are interested in farm is located. Veissiere is at the same peratures and while the snow was piling up
developing community-owned wind farms. time president of the Communauté de com- several metres high. “The West, the South,
munes d’Ardes-sur-Couze, an association and the central regions of France are tur-
In the beginning, the towers of Saultier’s of municipalities in the Ardes-sur-Couze ning more and more into ENERCON’s mar-
wind turbines were frequently smeared with district. He managed to win over the other ket,” says Schuster. “The installation of the
graffiti. Then he commissioned a professio- municipalities on the plateau for supporting 800kW turbines in the Massif Central provi-
nal artist to paint the exterior wall of one of the project. des us with some excellent references.”

Patrick Saultier welcomes visitors at the inauguration event in Plélan. The project has drawn the community together: Saultier honours project partners.
8 WINDBLATT 02 | 2009 POLICY

The power station fleet of the future

Nuclear energy jeopardises

green energy revolution
The EU has set itself the goal that by the year 2020, 20 % of Europe’s the sustained growth of wind power gene-
final energy consumption in the areas of electricity, heating, and mo- ration at inland sites. Other renewable
bility should come from renewable sources. A major share of this energies too, such as solar power, boast
energy will have to come from regenerative electricity. In order for substantial increases in efficiency. Manu-
facturers believe that photovoltaics will
this sector to achieve such a dynamic growth, a reliable political fra-
reach the so-called grid parity within just a
mework is key. In Germany for example, the Renewable Energy few years. Electricity generated on top of
Sources Act provides such a framework. Another important step is to one’s own roof will then cost the same as
supplement the renewable electricity generators with flexible power power from the wall, giving the solar indus-
stations and power storage systems. By contrast, the construction of try reason to hope for a strong stimulus for
new coal-fired power stations or even nuclear power plants only this market.
hampers the expansion of the renewables sector.
Nuclear power and coal
Today, many European countries offer tariffs are in place. France for example has lack flexibility
favourable framework conditions for the increased its installed wind power almost To continue such a strong growth, the fra-
expansion of renewable energies. If these five-fold in the years since 2005. mework conditions must remain reliable.
remain in place and continue to evolve, the Dynamic growth is not only sustained by
electricity production from renewables Renewables technology fixed tariffs and priority grid access for elec-
could multiply by the year 2020. The instal- advances tricity from renewable sources – supplan-
led wind power alone will reach The industry has definitely done its home- ting the use of nuclear energy is another im-
180,000 MW throughout Europe, according work: In wind energy, significant advances portant contributing factor. About two thirds
to industry estimates – almost three times in design and engineering allow for the pro- of the regenerative electricity in 2020 is
as much as the current capacity of around fitable operation of wind turbines also at expected to originate from wind and solar
65,000 MW. In recent years, some EU coun- less windy sites. Because each additional installations. Other power producers must fit
tries have demonstrated the kind of dyna- metre of hub height results in a one percent themselves to this in order to enable effec-
mic growth that is possible when suitable yield increase, the abolition of height tive and cost-efficient power production.
framework conditions with fixed feed-in restrictions has become the main factor for The energy mix of the year 2020 with prio-
Source: Deutsche Umwelthilfe e. V.

80,000 80,000
Load and EEG1 power feed [MW]

60,000 60,000
[MW]

40,000 40,000

20,000 20,000

0 0
01.01. 06.01. 13.01. 20.01. 27.01. 31.01. 01.01. 06.01. 13.01. 20.01. 27.01. 31.01.

Last 2020 EEG 2020 BMU 1

EEG = German Renewable Energy Sources Act

January 2020 – Forecast load and EEG power feed in Germany. January 2020 – Remaining fossil and nuclear power production in Germany.
 POLICY WINDBLATT 02 | 2009 9

INFO-SERVICE
CanWEA 2009

Picture: Manuel Berger

rity for renewa-
bles has almost (Toronto/Canada)
no room left for Annual Wind Energy Conference
and Trade Show
nuclear and
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
fossil-fuelled
20 - 23 September 2009
power plants
www.canwea.ca
and their infle-
xibility. The Wind Powerexpo 2009
renaissance of (Zaragoza/Spain)
nuclear power Internat. Wind Energy Trade Show
currently in Zaragoza Fair Congress Centre
progress in 22 - 24 September 2009
some European www.powerexpo.es
states is there- New Year’s reception of German Renewable Energy Federation: Angela Merkel was im-
fore bound to pressed by the objective of attaining a 47 % share of green electricity by 2020. RENEXPO 2009
be a dead end. (Augsburg/Germany)
corresponding to about ten average coal- 10th International Trade Fair for
E.on and EDF demand cap for fired power stations (figures from 2007). Renewable Energy & Energy
renewables When electricity production is high and de- Efficient Building and Renovation
While presenting their plans for the con- mand low, water reservoirs can be filled Trade Fair Center Augsburg
struction of new nuclear power plants in and then when additional power is needed, 24 - 27 September 2009
www.renexpo.de
England, E.on and EDF demanded a cap for be used at short notice to supplement elec-
the development of renewables once their tricity production. Another step is to increa-
Eolica Expo 2009
share of power consumption had reached se the electricity exchange with Scandinavi-
(Rome/Italy)
20 % (EDF) or 30 % (E.on). This shows that an and Alpine countries. Switzerland and
Internat. Wind Energy Trade Show
Europe’s large utility companies have long Austria are already building numerous
Rome Fair Centre
since understood the fact that renewable pumped storage power stations. 30 Sep. - 03 Oct. 2009
energies and nuclear power can only exist www.zeroemissionrome.eu
side by side until wind, solar, etc. gain the Non-renewables will have to fall
upper hand. After that, there is no more in line behind NEREC 2009
room on the grid for nuclear power. The A sea cable connects the Netherlands to (Oslo/Norway)
utility companies will thus do everything in Norway and exploits considerable water North European Renewable Energy
their power to fight the priority treatment of storage potential there; another cable be- Convention
renewable energies. tween Germany and Norway is planned for Norwegian Convention and Trade
2014. In terms of figures, the hydropower Fair Centre (Lilleström near Oslo)
Extending the service life of nuclear power reservoirs in Norway, Sweden, and Finland 07 - 08 October 2009
plants and building new, unwieldy coal- could provide Europe’s largest consumer www.nerec.no
fired power stations creates roadblocks on Germany with electricity for three months.
the path towards the continued growth of Many pumped storage power stations in the BEWA31 2009
renewable energies. New coal-fired power Alps are still tied by long-term contracts to (Liverpool/UK)
Wind Energy Conference and
stations on the coast – be they as efficient large utility companies who use these
Trade Show
as they may – clog up the grids for decades systems to convert their inflexible nuclear
ACC Liverpool
to come; grids that are needed to transport or coal power into flexible balancing energy.
20 - 22 October 2009
the wind electricity to the centres of con- So fossil energies and nuclear power are al-
www.bwea.com/31
sumption in the Western and Southern ready monopolising storage capacities that
regions of Germany. could be used for green energy. AGRITECHNICA 2009
(Hanover/Germany)
Alternative storage solutions The European elections will also set the International Agriculture
Instead of unwieldy fossil and nuclear po- course for Europe’s power station fleet of the Machinery Show
wer plants, flexible solutions are needed. future. If the course is set by the wind and Hanover Exhibition Grounds
Already today, Germany alone has storage the sun, the other energy sources will have 10 - 14 November 2009
systems available with a capacity of 7 GW, to fall in line behind, and not vice versa. www.agritechnica.com
10 WINDBLATT 02 | 2009 JOB PROFILES

Rotor blade service technicians

Blade maintenance at
lofty heights
ENERCON is currently creating teams of rotor
blade service technicians in several countries.
Anyone who wants to do this job must have a
good head for heights – the maintenance work is
carried out on the blades while these are mounted
on the wind turbine. The technicians stand on a
work platform or suspend themselves from
climbing ropes. For these teams, the ENERCON
Service companies are looking for skilled
technicians with a lot of work experience as well
as for enthusiastic people who are highly flexible
and willing to travel. ENERCON provides the
necessary training on the job as well as
specialised training as needed. Nico Peters working on an E-66 rotor blade in Westerholt/Germany.

Nico Peters, 26, and Manfred Freimuth, 28, weather events such as hailstorms cause six layers are needed to restore the original
are standing on a work platform 40 metres damage to the coating,” adds Peters. Their contour,” says Peters.
above the ground, working on the rotor bla- job is to assess the condition of the blade
de of an E-66 turbine in the Holtriem wind surface and to restore the original contour Paint and surface repairs form only one part
farm near Aurich, Germany. “This rotor has and coating of any damaged areas. of the varied range of tasks of the rotor bla-
been turning in the wind for 13 years and de teams. They check the drainage holes on
has suffered some wear,” explains Nico After inspecting the blade, Peters affixes the rotor blades, adjust the mechanical com-
Peters. “Dust particles in the air as well as masking tape to those areas he is going to ponents of the lightning protection system,
work on. He uses an orbital or remove and replace the erosion protection
sander to roughen the surfa- film on the blades. If necessary, they also
ce and remove the old coa- carry out repairs inside the rotor blade.
ting, exposing the laminate.
“The base must be dry and The work depends on the weather. The plas-
clean to ensure good adhe- tic fillers can only be processed when the
sion of the filler.” Peters weather is dry and temperatures are mode-
works with a cartridge gun rate; when wind speeds exceed 10 m/s, it is
that mixes a viscous plastic no longer possible to use the work plat-
with a curing agent. Then he forms. “When the weather is bad, we check
uses a spatula to smooth the the inside of the rotor blades using came-
filler evenly onto the surface. ras,” says Peters. At first the service techni-
He only has 4 to 5 minutes to cians turn the blade horizontal. They climb
work the paste. “We only ap- into the rotor blade, examine the portion that
ply very thin layers to pre- can be walked in, and record the results. To
Manfred Freimuth taking materials from a box. vent air inclusions. Three to check the portion of the rotor blade that can-
 JOB PROFILES WINDBLATT 02 | 2009 11

not be walked in, they turn the blade so that the new technicians are further
it is vertical below the nacelle and then lower trained in mechanics and rotor bla-
a special digital camera on a rope down into de treatment. The latter starts off
the blade. “We’ve got precise instructions with on-the-ground exercises;
what we need to look for,” says Freimuth. then, a work platform is used.
Peters controls the camera via a TFT moni- “After one season, the new techni-
tor. When he discovers a suspicious patch, cians are considered fully-fledged
he takes a photo and downloads it to his team members,” says Jansen.
laptop computer for further analysis. Additional courses in abseiling (le-
vels 1-3) and camera control are
A team consists of three members: While on offer that round off the training.
two technicians are using the platform or
are abseiling to reach the rotor blade, the About 20 kilometres from Aurich in
third one supports them from the ground. Marienhafe, Martin Sjöblom from
He makes sure that cables do not get twis- Gothenburg and Karl Runesson Martin Sjöblom, Karl Runesson and a third co-worker will form the
ted, is responsible for safety, takes care of from Malmö are waiting for their first ENERCON rotor blade service team in Scandinavia.
yaw control, or does the paperwork. first training deployment on a work
platform on the rotor blade of an E-70 wind travelling, which I love,” says Runesson. He,
“The ability to work at heights, the willing- turbine. The group is spending two weeks in Sjöblom, and a third technician, Gustavo
ness to learn, and a good technical affinity Aurich for training. Before Runesson, 26, joi- Rivano, will form the first rotor blade service
are the most important qualifications for ned ENERCON he worked as an arborist in team in Scandinavia. “This type of work
this job,” says Gerhard Jansen from the ro- the parks and gardens of Malmö. On week- really suits me – I can be outdoors the enti-
tor blade service dispatch department at ends, the avid climber meets up with friends re day and I feel totally comfortable working
ENERCON Service. Other criteria depend on to climb the highest and most challenging at heights,” adds 21-year-old Sjöblom. “And
the specific demands and the general servi- tree tops in Malmö and around. “I applied I also find it important that I can do pionee-
ce situation in each country: “In Germany, with ENERCON because this job allows me ring work in Scandinavia for one of the ener-
Service is keen for applicants to have com- to combine working at heights with lots of gy sources of the future.”
pleted their vocational training in a techni-
cal domain,” reports Jansen. Successful
applicants may be qualified industrial clim- Job description: Rotor blade service technician
bers, boat constructors and airplane en-
gineers, or mechanics, carpenters, or pain- The ENERCON Service is seeking for rotor blade service technicians for its wind turbines
ters. Service in France is looking for installed in over 30 countries. Currently, rotor blade service teams will be set up in several
mechanics with three to five years of work markets, amongst them France, Scandinavia, Great Britain, Ireland, and Benelux. The teams
experience. Service in Great Britain and Ire- inspect and repair rotor blades while the blades are mounted on the turbines. They either ab-
land is looking for applicants with a lot of seil to reach the blades or use work platforms. The ability to work at heights is an essential
work experience as skilled workers or prerequisite for the job. Because these are specialist teams, the willingness to travel and work
craftsmen. Says Jansen: “In those coun- in other Service areas or neighbouring countries is very important. Career opportunities
tries, we are looking for experienced techni- within the ENERCON quality assurance organisation exist.
cians who can later pass on their knowled-
ge to their younger co-workers.” Required qualifications: Advantages:
Technical training in mechanical en- + Varied tasks and responsibilities encom-
ENERCON provides basic and advanced gineering/completed vocational training passing the maintenance of WEC rotor
training. The basic training for rotor blade Enthusiasm for wind energy blades; great independence
service technicians starts with the safety Physical fitness, ability to work at + Practical introduction to all aspects of
course that includes rescue procedures heights the job
from work platforms and tower ladders as Good command of English + Highest standards of safety with annual
well as the use of the personal protection Availability, flexibility and mobility refresher courses and regular training
equipment. Specialised training sessions Tasks and responsibilities: + Career opportunities in technical support
focus on repair methods, materials, and Inspection of ENERCON rotor blades, at Service Dispatch centres (countries
processing times. After several weeks of recording of inspection results, suppor- where multiple ENERCON wind farms
acting as the “third man” in a Service team, ting mechanical service are installed)
 Before pouring the concrete, an external structural engineer inspects and certifies the reinforcement.

Wind turbine footings

ENERCON foundations
solid
Currently, the wind energy sector is occupied with the problem of on before it is covered with soil,” reports
cracking in wind turbine foundations and the resulting consequences. Peter Rüschenbaum. In addition before the
By comparison ENERCON foundations are not affected by this quality concrete is poured, an independent struc-
issue as they have been combating this problem with an array of tural engineer inspects the reinforcement
work to ensure that it has been properly
preventive measures for number of years now. Included in these
carried out.
measures are geotechnical reports for each site, TÜV-certified type
testing, comprehensive quality assurance during construction and Cracks do not affect
annual foundation inspection. “Our aim is to build high-quality structural stability
foundations at reasonable prices for the customer,” says Peter “Of course, the right choice of foundation
Rüschenbaum, Head of ENERCON Project Management in Aurich. based on the geotechnical report is not a
100 % guarantee that nothing will happen,”
Comparatively, ENERCON WEC foundations tion for that particular site. ENERCON then says Markus Vogel, in charge of Quality
are not affected by the current issue of ty- reviews the recommendation and in gene- Assurance for ENERCON foundations. These
pical foundation cracking. The reason is ral approves the foundation type. Project foundations may have the occasional foun-
that for a good number of years ENERCON management monitors the foundation qua- dation crack. These show up as wedge-
has been having individual geotechnical re- lity during the construction phase and after shaped concrete flakes on the surface. “This
ports compiled for each new location which completion clears it for tower installation. type of crack does not generally affect the
provides a foundation type recommenda- “Our site supervisors inspect the foundati- stability of the WEC,” he emphasises.
 TECHNOLOGY WINDBLATT 02 | 2009 13

Should cracks be detected, Quality Assuran- This time pressure is elimi-

ce inspects these and where necessary pro- nated when the tower buil-
vides a solution for repair. In order to do so, ders can install the bottom
ENERCON uses a tried and tested procedure section on a steel ring which
by which for example narrow channels are has previously been grouted.
drilled into the foundation. This method is Then only the bolts, tower
used to determine whether there are any section and ring or foundati-
voids. “If any significant cracks or gaps are on have to be connected and
detected, a special targeted injection me- prestressed.
thod is used to inject the material and fully
reestablish the original foundation stability.” GGBS and cement for
concrete
Annual inspections of Another measure ENERCON
tower bases employs to reduce the risk of
After repairs, the WEC has to remain inope- cracking is also ecologically
rative for 30 hours. The resin needs that sensible. Adding ground gra- Positioning load ring on foundation basket.
amount of time to harden enough for the nulated blastfurnace sand
foundation to withstand load again. After (GGBS), a by-product of the
that, the WEC can resume operation. The steel industry, and fly ash
entire repair procedure takes approxima- from power plants to stan-
tely five days. Six years of experience using dard Portland cement as a
this method have shown that subsequent binder also keeps the ce-
repairs are not necessary. ment fresh longer. Hence all
layers can be perfectly com-
“The important thing is to detect any cracks pacted.
at an early stage so that we can take imme-
diate action,” Vogel adds. Once a year, Says Vogel: “Concrete rich in
ENERCON Service mechanics inspect the GGBS is also less sensitive to
condition of each ENERCON turbine founda- aggressive substances such
tion according to particular specifications. as sulphates or CO2 contai-
“Of course, the aim is to avoid cracking in ned in the soil or ground-
the first place. However, if cracks do occur, water.” It also reduces the Completed load ring.
early detection facilitates proper repair.” amount of CO2 emissions per
tonne of cement by nearly
Decoupling tower and 25 % and thus reduces the
foundation environmental impact.
Besides efficient repair techniques,
ENERCON has also come up with effective The biggest advantage, how-
solutions to minimise the risk of cracking. ever, is that less heat is
Firstly, steel towers are decoupled from the generated during the harde-
foundation by means of a load ring. For to- ning process. Normal con-
wers with a larger diameter, this type of ring crete with Portland cement
is intended to evenly distribute the load of reaches temperature peaks
the WEC on the foundation. It acts as a type of more than 80° Celsius.
of “pressure cushion” and increases the “This can cause tension be-
quality of the connection between the lower tween the core and the outer
tower section and the foundation. Without edge of the foundation as the
the load ring, grouting the bottom tower edge cools off much faster
section has to be done extremely quickly. than the core. These tempe- Prestressing bolts between tower and load ring.
“The next steel section is already hanging rature differences can lead
on the crane while the grout around the to- to cracking. Using GGBS keeps the overall rences lower. The risk of cracking is consi-
wer base is hardening,” explains Vogel. temperature down and temperature diffe- derably reduced.”
14 WINDBLATT 02 | 2009 SUPPLIER

Block Transformatoren-Elektronik GmbH & Co KG

Robust winding goods for

WEC control systems
Electronic components manufacturer Block

Fotos: Block Transformatoren-Elelktronik GmbH & Co KG

Transformatoren-Elektronik GmbH & Co KG has
been a supplier to ENERCON from day one. The first
component Block supplied back in 1985 was an
autotransformer with an input voltage of 3 x 220 V
and an output voltage of 3 x 380 V. Today, the grid
quality experts with headquarters in Verden in
Northern Germany supply chokes and transformers
for almost all ENERCON models as well as parts for
special components engineering.

Block offers its customers a product portfo- Switching power

lio comprising around 13,000 electrotechni- supply units consist
cal products: Transformers, power supply of rectifiers, smoo-
units, EMC filters (EMC = electromagnetic thing capacitors,
compatibility) and chokes for a wide variety switching transis-
of uses. For its wind energy converters tors, PWM control-
(WEC), ENERCON makes use of only a small lers, and pulse
fraction of this gigantic assortment – main- transformers. “This
ly pulse transformers for power supply year, we’ll be buying
units, transformers, and chokes. about 280,000 pulse
transformers from
Most of the products ENERCON purchases Block,” reports Tho-
from Block are custom-made solutions. mas Newiger from
“The fast and efficient implementation of ENERCON’s purcha-
customer specifications for a particular sing department in Block’s line production of excitation chokes for E-70/E-82 wind turbines.
component – that is our forte. Working clo- Aurich.
sely with the customer, we can thus design from insulated enamelled copper wire (0.1
and manufacture individual products of Chokes for electrical cabinets to 0.5 mm diameter), enamelled flat copper
consistently high quality,” says Reinhold Other WEC components developed by wire (max. 16 x 4.5 mm), and aluminium
Nesemann, Block’s industrial sales repre- ENERCON jointly with Block include excita- and copper foil (max. 700 mm width, 3 mm
sentative for Northern Germany. tion controller chokes and line chokes for material thickness); they insert the iron
excitation controller boxes in the E-70 and cores, attach the wires and then test the
In ENERCON WECs, electronic control boards E-82 models. “The connection equipment assembled winding goods. Next, the coils
are used in many different places: In the with the red insulators in particular fulfils enter the vacuum pressure impregnation
pitch control system that adjusts the rotor ENERCON’s requirement for flexible facility, about one cubic metre in size.
blades; in the generator’s central lubrication connection lines and high currents at
system; as well as in the yaw control system contact,” explains Reinhold Nesemann. “We use vacuum pressure impregnation to
that turns the nacelle with the wind. Almost ensure maximum resin saturation of the
all of these control boards are equipped with Currently, about 10 % of the chokes manu- windings and a homogenous coating. This
switching power supply units, meaning they factured by Block are made for ENERCON. yields very good insulation values, excellent
are supplied with grid voltage (230 V AC). In choke production, workers wind coils heat conduction, and lower noise emissi-
 SUPPLIER WINDBLATT 02 | 2009 15

ons,” explains Jens Scheffelmeier, Enginee- research

ring Manager at Block. and deve-
lopment
Block is a company with extensive vertical team and
integration. Housings and coil bodies for runs its own
transformers and chokes are manufactured accredited
in-house; they also punch and cut their own EMC test la-
sheet metal and have their own injection boratory for
moulding system. “About 70 to 75 percent tests for
of our supply chain is in-house,” says product in-
Scheffelmeier. “This allows us to be flexible troductions.
and respond to customer demands quick-
ly.” Short throughput times and an ample “All our pro-
material stock additionally ensure Block’s ducts are
ability to fulfil orders at short notice. developed,
tested, and
Origins in radio technology manufactu-
Block was founded in 1939 when Alfred red in-hou-
Block set up a manufacturing shop for radio se,” says Two chokes enter the vacuum pressure impregnation facility.
equipment. The headquarters in Verden’s Scheffel-
Max-Planck-Strasse still show an exposi- meier. “To ensure quality, we set high qua- rent while the capacitors are charging that
tion of tube radios that the company deve- lity standards and adhere to them strictly.” supply power to the pitch drives of the
loped after the war and manufactured in In the cable assembly stage for example, a E-126 rotor blades in the event of tempo-
small quantities. Later, Block specialised in polished-section micrograph analysis is rary grid failures; as well as chokes used for
the manufacturing of components, for carried out for each batch of cables where current limitation with the E-126 blade
example the winding of loudspeaker coils. cable lugs are pressed on. “This ensures adjustment motors.
They continued to expand the production of that the connection is secure even at very
winding goods, and Block became a sup- high currents.”
plier amongst others to Nordmende, then a
leading consumer electronics manufacturer Consistent demand from wind
in Germany. energy sector
Supplying the wind industry accounts for
After the death of the company founder in about ten percent of Block’s annual revenue
1971, long-standing employee Wolfgang from choke production; for some pulse
Reichelt took over the company. He remains transformers, the wind industry share is
active in the company today as shareholder even higher. Says Scheffelmeier: “Wind
and director along with three other mana- energy is one of the sectors where growth
ging directors. Under his leadership, Block remains stable. In the medium term, we
grew into a global manufacturer of electro- continue to expect substantial growth in
technical equipment employing 600 people, this market segment.”
with five international subsidiaries and an
annual revenue of 60 million euros. Most “We are very satisfied with Block as a sup-
customers are from the machine enginee- plier,” says Thomas Newiger from the
ring sector. Block components are used in ENERCON purchasing department. He em-
industrial-size washing machines as well as phasises Block’s great flexibility in particu-
in ships, in building systems, in air conditio- lar. For Wobben Research & Development
ning and ventilation systems, in welding (WRD) – ENERCON’s Research & Develop-
machines and in elevators. ment department – Block is a long-standing
partner who quickly and reliably develops
The company itself describes its product electronic components according to the
portfolio as “a virtually seamless system for specifications defined by WRD. The latest
the mains interface”. Block has a 43-strong projects include chokes that limit the cur- Surface mount transformers for PCBs.
WINDBLATT
Emissions trading

Picture: Sabine Braun

needs dynamic ceilings
Earlier this year, media reports claimed that the renewables boom did
not help at all to protect the climate. Because of the emissions trading
scheme, for each gram of CO2 saved by wind turbines more coal is
burned in Eastern Europe. In her recent book* on an alternative climate
future, economist Claudia Kemfert from German Institute of Economic
Research provides an in-depth treatment of this question. She empha-
sises the need for a dynamic adjustment of the ceilings for emissions
trading to the CO2 savings from renewable energies as the only way for
the climate to benefit. Claudia Kemfert.

Windblatt: Do emissions trading and the Windblatt: Don’t we have to consider Windblatt: How can we ensure that the
promotion of renewable energies really emissions trading failed due to the lax al- use of both climate protection instru-
hamper each other’s effectiveness for cli- location of certificates to industry and the ments – emissions trading and the pro-
mate protection? generous emission ceilings? Should the motion of renewable energies – remains
Claudia Kemfert: No, both instruments ful- renewables industry not object to emissi- economically viable?
fil a purpose in their own right. The German ons trading as an unsuitable tool for pro- Kemfert: If emissions decline thanks to the
Renewable Energy Sources Act promotes motion? promotion of renewable energies, the cei-
new technologies which both strengthens Kemfert: That would be going too far, and it lings for emission allowance trading must
competitiveness and secures the power wouldn’t be true, either. Emissions trading be adjusted correspondingly.
supply in Germany. Emissions trading is pu- is a cost-efficient and effective instrument
rely an instrument of climate protection that of climate protection. Some mistakes were Windblatt: How can the emissions trading
puts a price on CO2. From a macroeconomic certainly made early on during the introduc- system best take into account the
point of view, it is a cost-efficient measure tion of emissions trading, due to a lack of CO2 reductions achieved through power
– but only if all countries, greenhouse gases experience and also due to a lack of infor- generation from renewable resources?
and sectors are taken into account. So far mation and the influence of lobbyists. Too Kemfert: Emission ceilings must be adjusted
however, participation is limited to Europe many emission allowances were distribu- on a regular basis. Besides, a decrease in
and the USA, trading is limited to the ener- ted, and the ceilings were set far too high. emissions may not only be caused by the
gy and the industrial sectors, and the only Today however, emission allowances are promotion of renewable energies, but also by
greenhouse gas covered is CO2. Which me- mostly for sale, and the EU Commission other measures such as CO2-based vehicle
ans that we are far from a perfect world. But keeps a close eye on the strict reduction of taxation or the retrofitting of buildings.
we should strive towards the optimum and emission ceilings.
should be looking for optimal interim soluti- Windblatt: Who should be responsible for
ons on the way. The emission ceilings are gradually coming adjusting both instruments to each other,
down, in accordance with the allocation and at what intervals?
Windblatt: What constitutes meaningful plans defined by the EU Commission and Kemfert: It is particularly important to adjust
climate policy in your opinion? the national governments. It is important the emission ceilings dynamically and on a
Kemfert: The existing promotion system though that we keep adjusting the ceilings regular basis. It would certainly make sense
must add more measures such as incentives dynamically and at short notice. If emissi- to do this every year and base it on a defi-
for improving building insulation or for su- ons decline sharply, be it thanks to climate ned, fixed formula. The EU Commission and
stainable mobility, but also specific support protection measures or due to an economic the politicians could remain in charge of this.
for renewable energies. What’s important is downturn, there is a risk that the emission
that all instruments are well tuned to each ceilings are too high and the CO2 price * C. Kemfert, “Die andere Klima-Zukunft –
other and that the interactions between the plummets. To prevent this, we should intro- Innovation statt Depression”, currently only
instruments are taken into account. duce dynamic caps. available in German.