GE Offshore Wind
| Company type | Joint venture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Wind power, Renewable energy |
| Predecessor | Alstom Wind, Alstom Ecotècnia, Ecotècnia S.c.c.l. |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Products | Offshore wind turbines, including 14MW Haliade-X |
| Owner | General Electric (50% plus one share), Alstom (remaining stake) |
GE Offshore Wind operates as a joint venture between Alstom and GE Vernova, established in 2015 after GE acquired the majority of Alstom’s electrical power and generation divisions. GE possesses a controlling stake of 50% plus one share in this partnership.
The entity, formerly known as Alstom Wind and originally as Alstom Ecotècnia, represented Alstom’s wind energy segment from 2010 until 2015. Its roots trace back to Ecotècnia S.c.c.l., a Spanish manufacturer of wind turbines founded in 1981, which Alstom purchased in 2007 for €350 million.
The company’s premier offering is the 14MW Haliade-X offshore wind turbine, recognized as one of the most powerful turbines worldwide.
Ecotècnia, 1981–2007
Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, Ecotècnia became part of the Mondragon Corporation group in 1999. By 1984, it had developed its initial 30 kW turbine, followed by a 150 kW model in 1991, leading to its first commercial order for fifty turbines installed at Tarifa, Spain, in 1992.
Ecotècnia specialized in turbines designed for challenging environments, utilizing modular designs with isolated gearboxes aimed at minimizing mechanical stress. Throughout the 1990s, its notable turbine models included the ECO20 (150 kW), ECO44 (640 kW), and ECO48 (750 kW). Post-2003, the company concentrated on producing the 1.67MW IEC class II ECO74 and class IIIA ECO80 turbines, which featured mechanically isolated planetary gearboxes and doubly fed induction generators equipped with pitch-controlled blades sourced from LM Wind Power.
While most installations were within Spain, approximately 10% were exported to countries such as Portugal, France, Italy, Japan, and India. By 2005, Ecotècnia commanded about a 2.1% share of the global installed wind capacity market. By 2007, it had exceeded one gigawatt of installed capacity and increased turbine power ratings from the initial 30 kW in 1984 up to 1.67 MW.
In mid-2007, Alstom acquired Ecotècnia for €350 million. At that time, the company employed over 800 staff members and generated annual revenues near €400 million. Its production facilities included assembly plants located in Somozas and Buñuel, control panel manufacturing at Rio del Pozo, and tower fabrication at Coreses. Additionally, Ecotècnia developed small-scale autonomous energy solutions known as 'CICLOPS', integrating wind turbines (10 kW), solar photovoltaic systems (2–10 kW), generators, batteries, and inverters. It also operated small photovoltaic installations at its Pla de Santa Maria site.
Alstom Wind, 2007–2015
On October 1, 2009, the first ECO100 model—a 3 MW wind turbine—was commissioned at the Vieux Moulin wind farm near Pithiviers, Paris. The company was rebranded as Alstom Wind S.L. in April 2010.
In 2010, Alstom initiated construction of a turbine nacelle manufacturing facility in Amarillo, Texas, which became operational by mid-2011. Later that year, November 2011 saw the opening of a plant with a production capacity of 300 MW per year in Camaçari near Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
March 2012 marked the launch of the Haliade 150—a 6 MW offshore turbine developed specifically for large-scale French offshore wind projects. In January 2011, Alstom joined a consortium led by EDF Energies Nouvelles to bid on French offshore wind farms totaling 6 GW. The Haliade 150 incorporated a gearless direct drive permanent magnet synchronous generator designed to enhance efficiency and reliability; it utilized blades measuring 73.5 meters supplied by LM Wind Power.
By April 2012, the EDF/DONG Energy/Alstom consortium secured contracts for three offshore wind farms with an aggregate capacity of 1.4 GW off France's northwest coast. Alstom announced plans to establish factories dedicated to blade and tower manufacturing in Cherbourg and nacelle and generator assembly in Saint-Nazaire.
In July 2012, a Haliade turbine began power generation during certification testing; its generator was provided by GE Power Conversion (formerly Converteam), which intended to open a production facility in Saint-Nazaire.
Towards the end of 2012, plans were unveiled for a wind tower factory located in Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil—adjacent to an existing Alstom plant—and this facility commenced operations in August 2013.
Due to significant reductions in Spanish government subsidies leading to a market downturn, Alstom reduced its workforce in Spain by approximately 35% in February 2013. Production activities previously spread across Somozas and Zamora were consolidated into Buñuel in Navarra. Subsequent negotiations reduced job cuts from an initial estimate of 373 down to about 265.
In November 2013, a Haliade 150 turbine was installed at the Belwind Offshore Wind Farm for operational testing purposes; at that time it ranked among the largest turbines functioning globally.
The Saint-Nazaire assembly plant for nacelles and generators officially opened its doors in December 2014. Early in 2015 saw the inauguration of a joint venture tower manufacturing facility with Andrade Gutierrez located in Jacobina, Bahia, Brazil.
Initial procurement orders for the Haliade turbine included five units designated for the Block Island Wind Farm (USA) confirmed in March 2015 and sixty-six units ordered for DEME’s Merkur offshore wind farm (Germany) announced in July 2015.
In November of that year, General Electric completed its acquisition of most of Alstom’s energy generation and transmission businesses; this merged entity was branded GE Power. Concurrently, three joint ventures were established including one focused on hydroelectric and offshore renewable energy sectors.
GE Power (offshore wind) (2016–)
In February 2016, GE finalized the initial production run of 300 permanent magnet wind turbines at its facility in St. Nazaire. The 6MW Haliade turbine, engineered to drive the expansion of offshore wind energy, was planned for testing beginning in Spring 2016 at the Østerild Wind Turbine Test Field. This development represented a key milestone in GE's strategy to grow its presence in renewable energy sectors through cutting-edge turbine technology.
Sources
External links
- , EDF consortium public information brochure
- GE website
- Photo gallery of Haliade factory , includes description