USA: Columbia Power Technologies Selects Siemens’ Generator for Wave Project

Columbia Power Technologies has selected Siemens Industry’s segmented rotary generator for use in Columbia Power’s utility-scale wave energy system, the StingRAY.

The patented, third-generation StingRAY is a floating, offshore wave energy system and represents the culmination of over 10 years of intensive, scaled development and testing. The megawatt-scale StingRAY delivers survivability with a competitive cost of energy and a low environmental impact.

“Our strategy was to choose a trusted global partner with significant expertise and experience. We wanted a company like Siemens that could provide a solution from existing technology, in order to reduce risk and shorten our commercialization timeline,” says Reenst Lesemann, Columbia Power Technologies’ CEO.

“Siemens will use its existing segment motor construction kit to design a generator for installation around the circumference of the buoy ultimately creating a built-in 7.5 m air-gap diameter motor/generator,” explains Razvan Panati, Director of Technology for Siemens Drive Technologies Division.

The initial generator, which will be able to deliver 1.5MW of peak power, will be tested at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s National Wind Technology Center in early 2014.

[mappress]

Press release, August 27, 2013; Image: Columbia Power Technologies