Nov 26 2010
Infineon Technology and Xinjiang Goldwind Science and Technology have inked a license agreement for the main components required in the manufacture of wind turbines.
As per the agreement, Goldwind would produce the Infineon Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) stacks, which are utilized in converters of MW grade wind turbines. IGBTs are power semiconductors that efficiently convert the generator’s variable frequency output to a fixed frequency necessary for the regional grid.
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According to Wu Gang, Goldwind’s Chairman, once the IGBT manufacturing technology is implemented in the facility, the in house production would take care of supply needs of the core components in a cost-effective way. The partnership would be beneficial to Goldwind as the company would be gaining knowledge on sophisticated technologies and quality control from Infineon.
Arunjai Mittal, Infineon’s Division President stated that this partnership was a visible proof of IGBT Technology’s robust and reliable nature. Power Semiconductors are essential for generating and distributing energy and in energy conversion solutions. Infineon also has plans of establishing an application engineering unit in Beijing. For wind turbines requiring grid friendliness and higher capacity, full power converters are vitally important, especially in Permanent Magnet Direct Drive (PMDD) wind turbines.
Goldwind has been using Infineon’s IGBT from 2007, and now plans on in-house production of the same, both for 1.5 MW and 2.5 MW and later on 3.0 MW wind turbines. Goldwind established in 1998 is China’s foremost wind turbine manufacturers and has a robust R&D capacity and is operating all over China and in various international markets in Europe and America. With a net sales figure of 8000 wind turbines by June 30, 2010, it has replaced 7 million tons of coal and reduced its carbon footprint by 17 million tons/year.