Richardson Electronics, a worldwide supplier of engineered solutions for renewable energy and various power management applications, proclaimed the enlargement of its clientele through a supply agreement with TransAlta Corporation for its proprietary pitch energy modules tailored for GE wind turbines and SSB platforms. TransAlta Corporation ranks among Canada’s major publicly traded power producers, owning and managing a diverse fleet across Canada, the United States, and Western Australia.
In accordance with the agreement, Richardson Electronics will furnish its patented ULTRA3000 and ULTRAPEM modules to multiple wind farms across Canada and the United States. Richardson anticipates shipments to take place throughout the year 2025.
These ultracapacitor-based modules are engineered to supplant lead-acid batteries in various OEM wind turbine platforms that employ electric pitch systems. Pitch Energy Modules (PEMs) accumulate and regulate the energy necessary to modify blade angles, guaranteeing the efficient functioning of the wind turbine.
Greg Peloquin, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Power & Microwave Technologies and Green Energy Solutions groups, commented, “As we maintain our position as the global leader in pitch energy modules and persist in developing new modules for diverse wind-turbine platforms such as our ULTRAPEM products, we are thrilled by the advancement of our new products including pitch energy modules for Senvion, Suzlon, GE’s SSB platform, and Nordex. Our partnership with TransAlta began a few years ago, and our teams have collaborated to identify and provide products that aid TransAlta in achieving success with the latest technology.”
Daniel Layton, Supervisor Soderglen & Lakeswind LTSA of TransAlta Corporation elaborated on his experiences collaborating with the Richardson Electronics team and their patented technological solutions: “If you were to inquire with any wind technician working on electric pitch systems about the system’s weak link, most would likely point to the pitch batteries. Even without analyzing the data, any technician recognizes this, as swapping and testing battery packs has been part of their routine for decades. At TransAlta, we sought a resolution for this issue, as our data indicates that pitch failures due to weak batteries are among our primary causes of downtime and lost production on our GE platforms. In this quest for a solution, we contacted Richardson Electronics, who offered us a plug-and-play solution requiring no modifications to our machines, facilitating easy installation. Richardson was very accommodating as we cautiously transitioned to utilizing their Ultra-caps. We opted to trial the Ultra-caps on multiple machines at two sites for an entire year before proceeding with the purchase. Following that trial period, we affirm that they have been a remarkable upgrade, and we’re eager to install these on the rest of the fleet. We have confidence in the product after our trial phase, and we’ve received numerous positive reviews from other wind companies that adopted them two to three years ago and have not looked back. Transitioning to Ultra-caps is set to diminish the number of hub entries and climbs our technicians require in a day, and we all recognize that the weather doesn’t always assist when we need to access a hub. Ultra-caps represent the solution for minimizing lost production, liberating manpower for more vital tasks, and enhancing revenue for many years ahead.”
News item from Richardson
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