A DEAL between a US company and the Chinese threatens European dominance of offshore-capable wind turbines.
American Superconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: AMSC) has revealed that its wholly-owned AMSC Windtec subsidiary has signed a contract with Dongfang Turbine Co Ltd to design and jointly develop five-megawatt (MW) full-conversion wind turbines for the offshore wind-power market. Dongfang is one of China’s top machinery companies. The company entered the wind-power market in 2004 and shipped more than 800 wind turbines with a 1.5MW power rating in 2008, making it the country’s third largest wind-turbine manufacturer.
Dongfang will soon commission its first prototype 2.5MW wind turbine designed under a prior agreement with AMSC Windtec and will enter volume production of these wind turbines in the second half of 2010. Dongfang has exclusive rights to the 5MW full-conversion wind turbine designs in China and plans to begin supplying wind turbines for the worldwide offshore market in 2012.
AMSC has the right of first refusal to supply the core electrical components for Dongfang’s 5MW wind turbines.
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