Wind turbines: innovations to boost efficiency

To unleash the full potential of wind power, we need to produce more energy at a lower cost. Making the tower taller and the blades bigger is one way of improving the efficiency of a wind turbine. However, onshore windfarms are subject to restrictions in this respect, owing to the visual impact of wind farms near residential areas.

In contrast, the offshore wind sector has full latitude to maximize the productivity of wind turbines. Floating wind farms, located well off the coast, also offer real potential in terms of development and performance.

Building on our experience in wind turbines along with our capacity for innovation, we are able to deliver real added value for our customers.

 Challenges facing the wind turbine industry

The wind turbine industry faces a number of technical challenges. Wind turbines are becoming larger in order to capture more wind, and towers are becoming taller in order to tap into stronger, more uniform air flows, thus reducing intermittency.

Manufacturers need to keep pace with these developments, while meeting high standards of reliability and optimizing the costs associated with operation and also transport, particularly to offshore sites. This requires innovative materials, lighter cables, better interconnection, and plug-and-play solutions with lower maintenance costs.

In a sector such as wind power, time-to-market is key and cycles are shorter. For this reason, we need to deliver co-engineering services, sound technical advice, pre-testing and easy-to-install product solutions for the market leaders we work with. They want business partners, ready to take on more responsibility in the value chain. The main goal of our customers is to reduce supply chain complexity through vertical integration, modularization, and greater standardization, in order to maintain high quality standards and local presence.

Our involvement in renewable energies dates back to the early twentieth century, when we connected Europe’s first hydroelectric plants. Today, we are continuing to promote renewables with solutions for the design, manufacture and maintenance of cables contributing to the competitive performance of the installations deployed for electrification and the energy transition. We call this offering WINDLINK®, reflecting its role in providing a seamless transfer of energy from turbine to grid.

Evidence

• Wind power, coupled with increased electrification, could deliver one-quarter of the reduction in annual CO2 emissions needed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
• An average turbine generates about 400,000 KWH per month, that’s enough for over 400 homes.

Nexans solutions

• Shorten development, qualification and manufacturing cycles by building on our extensive expertise in electrical subsystems, our understanding of technical requirements in wind turbine projects, and our innovative processes, including engineers embedded in the customer’s project team.
• Deliver integrated cable solutions comprising pre-cut, ready-terminated cables and accessories, allowing for easy assembly and installation, reducing the risk of failure throughout the service life of the cable. We produce all the cables required by wind turbines, from the base to the tower and the nacelle: cables for power transmission, as well as data cables for sensors and controllers, and Fieldbus, Profibus, and optical fiber cables. We also manufacture equipment for a range of applications including surveillance and IP telephony.
• Provide innovative products contributing to greater integration, with lighter, flexible cables able to adapt to a range of constraints: torque, temperature, oil, heat, and vibrations. We are able to cut costs with cables that are 40% lighter, but equally strong.

« We supply not just cables and components, but fully-engineered cabling solutions connecting wind turbine terminals to the onshore grid. We are involved in every stage of the project, from design to end-of-life. This gives us a real competitive advantage in wind turbine projects, for shorter time-to-market, lower costs, and a supply chain that is secure, efficient and reliable. »

Our objectives

• Simplify the supply chain for wind turbines.
• Ensure that the supply chain is secure, efficient and reliable.