News & Events

Moog Wins Contract to Supply Pitch Systems to REpower for the Nordsee Offshore 1 Wind Farm

East Aurora, N.Y.  – Moog Industrial Group, a division of Moog Inc. has won a contract to supply Hamburg, Germany-based REpower Systems AG with electric blade pitch control systems for the RWE Innogy Nordsee Ost 1 wind farm, one of the largest offshore projects in the world.  Beginning delivery in 2011, REpower will supply 48 wind turbines, each with Moog pitch control systems, to RWE Innogy GmbH to construct Nordsee Ost.  Nordsee Ost (North Sea East) is the first project under a framework agreement concluded between REpower and RWE Innogy in February 2009 for the delivery of up to 250 offshore 5 megawatt and 6 megawatt turbines.  The wind farm will be approximately 40 km (25 mi) offshore from the German island of Juist.  

The contract makes Moog the sole supplier of the first 48 pitch systems for the project. Moog’s blade pitch control system monitors and adjusts the inclination angle of the rotor blades and thus controls the rotation speed of the blades. This system is also critical to ensuring safety of the turbine in the event of high winds or catastrophic events.

REpower selected Moog’s pitch control systems for the project because Moog’s solution has proven to be reliable in harsh weather conditions found offshore.  Matthias Vehring, general manager wind business, Moog in Unna, Germany, said:  “Many blade pitch control systems can fail in this regard, but REpower has had a technical partnership with Moog for many years and is confident in the reliability and robust performance of Moog’s pitch systems.”

Moog’s Pitch Systems, found in the hub of the wind turbine, consist of robust control boxes containing servo drives, called PITCHmaster®, Pitch Drive Motors; optional Battery Management Systems; a control system including software for remote diagnostics and back-up power.  If the wind turbine loses electrical power, then the pitch system puts the turbine blades off-wind into a safe operating mode that protects the wind turbine from damage. Moog’s system also adjusts the turbine’s blades into the wind at the best angle for superior energy output, which is when the turbine reaches peak performance.

The size of the planned Innogy Nordsee 1 wind turbines make them among the largest and most powerful wind energy systems in the world, according to REpower Systems AG.  Each wind turbine consists of three rotor blades of 61.5 m (201.8 ft) in length.  When the wind farm is completed, REpower says the project will supply electricity for nearly 780,000 homes.

Lars Rytter Kristensen, Chief Supply Chain Officer of REpower Systems AG, said: “Investments in a project as large as this one demand the very best engineering and competitive pricing based on total cost of ownership available to ensure its success. Moog’s pitch control solution developed in a close cooperation with REpower will benefit to the overall success of the project.”

About Moog

Moog Inc. is a worldwide designer, manufacturer and integrator of precision control components and systems. Moog’s Industrial Group, designs and manufactures high performance motion control solutions combining electric, hydraulic and hybrid technologies with expert consultative support in a range of applications including plastics, metal forming, power generation, wind energy, test and simulation. We help performance-driven companies design and develop their next-generation machines. Moog’s Industrial Group, with fiscal year 2009 sales of USD 455 million and 40 locations worldwide, is part of Moog Inc. (NYSE:MOG.A and MOG.B), which has sales of USD 1.849 billion. For more information please visit www.moog.com/wind.

About REpower

REpower Systems AG, a Suzlon group company, is one of the leading manufacturers of onshore and offshore wind turbines. This international mechanical engineering company develops, produces and markets wind turbines with rated outputs of 2.05 MW to 6.15 MW and rotor diameters of 82 m (269 ft) to 126 m (413 ft) for almost any location. The company also offers a comprehensive portfolio of service and maintenance packages. Its profitable and reliable systems are designed at the REpower TechCenter in Osterrönfeld and manufactured at its plants in Husum (North Friesland), Trampe (Brandenburg) and Bremerhaven as well as Portugal and China.  

REpower, headquartered in Hamburg, has about 2,000 employees worldwide and has been listed on the Deutsche Börse since 2002. The company can use the experience gained from the manufacture and installation of over 2,000 wind turbines around the world to effectively support customers with their projects. REpower is represented by distribution partners, subsidiaries and participations in European markets such as France, Belgium, the UK, Italy, Portugal and Spain as well as on a global level in the USA, Japan, China, Australia and Canada. For more information, visit www.repower.de.