Green Energy Ohio - Green Energy Ohio Summer 2012
Icebreaker
on the lake
Pori I; a 2.3 MW Siemens wind turbine prototype project in the northern Baltic Sea. Photo courtesy: Siemens.
BY: DONNY DAVIS
n the 2011 winter edition of Green Energy Ohio News Magazine, GEO asked “Can Offshore Wind Be a Reality in Lake Erie?” While the orange cones are not yet lining the Port of Cleveland’s docks, over the last year Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo) has shown resilience to challenges and persistence in making this project a reality.
To be clear, there are zero projects off the shores of the United States. The nation’s gearbox appears to be jammed. Beyond the metaphor, it should be clarified LEEDCo’s five to nine turbine project never intended on using a gearbox in favor of direct-drive machines. However, speaking of turbines, the development team has elected to target the Siemens 3.0 megawatt (MW), instead of General Electric’s 4.1 MW machine. The turbine is a far more optimal for the first project, Icebreaker.
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GreenEnergyOhio.org
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