Problem turbines without problems
Wind power industry strengthens Siemens Energy
06/29/2023, 5:45 p.m
Siemens Gamesa has struggled with the quality of its wind turbines for many years. Last week, a new one from parent company Siemens Energy sent the share price plummeting. The big customers, however, react calmly to the bad news.
The Karlsruhe energy group EnBW has so far not found any problems with its wind turbines from the troubled Spanish turbine manufacturer Siemens Gamesa. EnBW currently has two onshore turbines from Gamesa in operation at its Ober-Ramstadt wind farm. There are no problems with the quality. EnBW has not yet been in contact with Gamesa on the subject.
Siemens Gamesa – a subsidiary of the energy group Siemens Energy – has been struggling with production deficiencies for years. Siemens Energy admitted last week that these could be more serious than previously assumed and therefore canceled its forecasts for 2023. As a result, Siemens Energy’s share price on the stock exchange collapsed by 35 percent.
According to the company, onshore wind turbines can have component failures and equipment design flaws. According to Siemens Energy, 15 to 30 percent of the wind turbines already installed worldwide could be affected. There are repair costs and compensation in the billions. In the worst case, these could exceed the five billion euro mark, estimate the experts at UBS.
Industry reacts calmly
In addition to EnBW, other large operators of European wind farms have so far reacted calmly. “Siemens Gamesa is one of our long-standing partners in the field of onshore and offshore wind power and we do not see any unusual technical problems in our existing fleet,” emphasized the Essen-based energy supplier RWE. The company is confident that its ordered turbines will be delivered on time for the planned projects.
In France, French energy giant EDF said it could solve any turbine problem should one arise. The Danish wind farm operator Orsted, which operates an onshore wind farm with Gamesa turbines, did not want to comment on individual suppliers, but said the mileage of its portfolio was good. According to an insider, the energy group Iberdrola in Spain wants to take a close look at eleven wind turbines that have already been delivered by Gamesa before they are installed. There are no known problems with the turbines already in use.
Siemens Gamesa also wants to take a close look at its suppliers in the analysis. The Liebherr Group, manufacturer of slewing bearings for the wind industry, among other things, explained on request that Siemens Gamesa is a customer and procures components. “Our products are not affected,” the company assured.