Gamesa opens technology lab in Singapore

Madrid, Spain - Gamesa opened a technology centre in Singapore to focus on advanced materials research.

The new laboratory should begin its work with three important research projects, conducted jointly with the Nanyang Technological University, the National University of Singapore and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). Gamesa expects the tech lab to employ more than 30 engineers by 2014.Within the partnership agreement signed with the Nanyang Technological University, Gamesa wants to conduct research projects on wind turbine blade coatings and methods for incorporating the materials into the company's manufacturing systems.

Along with the National University of Singapore, the company will study methods for monitoring composite materials using embedded sensors and will assess their industrial applications. Meanwhile, in conjunction with the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), a research institute of A*STAR, Gamesa will gauge the performance of turbine blades' carbon fibre polymers after nano-reinforcements are incorporated to lend them added strength. Gamesa will explore R&D in manufacturing with the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), a research institute of A*STAR.

The new tech lab in Singapore is part of Gamesa's strategy for becoming a global standard-bearer in lowering turbines' cost of energy (COE), based on the reliability, efficiency and availability of its current and future catalogue of products and services. Gamesa plans to cut its customers' cost of energy by 20% through 2013 and by 30% through 2015 by introducing new products (five onshore and offshore turbine systems) and developing new applied technologies, maintenance improvements, etc. Gamesa will open five tech labs (in the United States, India, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Singapore) in 2011, increasing its global network of R&D hubs to 10 sites.

Source: IWR Online, 08 Apr 2011