Mondragon Unibertsitatea inaugurates a new medium voltage laboratory aimed at improving the wind energy sector

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Mondragon Unibertsitatea inaugurates a new medium voltage laboratory aimed at improving the wind energy sector

LABORATORY INAUGURATION

Mondragon Unibertsitatea inaugurates a new medium voltage laboratory aimed at improving the wind energy sector

The commissioning of the new facilities is part of a project driven by the University, Siemens Gamesa, Infineon and SGB-SMIT, and co-funded by the European Commission.

2023·03·27

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Mondragon Unibertsitatea today inaugurates a new 700 m2 medium voltage laboratory that will become a benchmark in Europe in the transformation and improvement of the wind energy sector. The start-up of the facilities, which will be unique and singular in Europe, forms part of a European project promoted by Mondragon Unibertsitatea, Siemens Gamesa, Infineon and SGB-SMIT. The aim of this programme, called FASTAP, is to optimise the electrical capacities of the turbines by technologies that increase annual energy production by up to 5%, reduce the cost of leveraging wind energy by 5.5% and reduce CO2 emissions. With the new equipment installed (the University already had medium voltage equipment in place since 2006), the Mondragon Unibertsitatea laboratory will increase its capacity and become a benchmark in Europe. The project is co-financed by the European Union and has required an investment of 2 million euros as part of its Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

To this end, a consortium has been formed with four leading entities in their sector and present in benchmark countries in wind energy such as Denmark, Spain and Germany. Siemens Gamesa is the main coordinator of the project and the integrator and validator of the FASTAP product. Infineon designs and manufactures high-performance bipolar semiconductors and provides the know-how and commercial capacity for the semiconductors used. SGB-SMIT, a manufacturer of medium-sized transformers in Europe, provides the technical know-how and the commercial capacity of the transformers; while Mondragon Unibertsitatea represents the University closest to the company at a national level and will be in charge of transferring the knowledge on the new on-load tap-changing technology for wind turbines.

The event was attended by Arantxa Tapia, Minister for Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment of the Basque Government; Carlos García, coordinator of the University's Higher Polytechnic School; Vicente Atxa, Rector of the University; Iñigo Ucín, President of the Mondragón Corporation; José María Canales, researcher and head of the medium voltage laboratory between 2011 and 2020, as well as the current head of the laboratory, Manex Barrenetxea; José María Canales, researcher and head of the medium voltage laboratory between 2011 and 2020, as well as the current head of the laboratory, Manex Barrenetxea, and Fernando Santodomingo, director of the European FASTAP project of which the laboratory forms part (and director of R&D Projects at Siemens Gamesa).

Reducing costs

FASTAP's goal is to transform and improve the wind energy sector by optimising the electrical capabilities of turbines, so its technology focuses on increasing energy production while reducing CO2 emissions and associated costs.

In fact, thanks to the construction of this new laboratory, which is unique in Europe, the aim is to reduce the cost of leveraging wind energy by up to 5.5% and simultaneously achieve up to a 5% increase in annual production, thus responding to the current market situation.

To this end, FASTAP aims to replace the traditional wind turbine transformer with a faster on-load tap-changing transformer that improves the electrical performance of wind turbines and facilitates their integration into weak grids. This new technology uses semiconductors that make it possible to choose and regulate, very quickly, the best voltage at which the wind turbine operates. The drivers of the project have extensive experience of working together and cover the entire value chain to bring the final product to the market.

A new reference laboratory

The new equipment will enable the various tests aimed at improving the wind power sector to be carried out. In fact, the equipment installed will have the capacity to test rotating machines of up to 8MW of rated power and will be able to validate 20kV medium voltage grid codes.

The new space has a surface area of 700 m2 with separate test areas for low voltage/low power (BTBP) and medium voltage/high power (MTAP), of 10 MW and 4MW, respectively.

A laboratory since 2006

Since 2006, Mondragon Unibertsitatea has had a medium voltage laboratory, which has enabled the research groups working in Electrical Energy to work with companies in the sector and to have a recognised track record in the research and testing of medium voltage equipment. With the new equipment installed, the Mondragon Unibertsitatea laboratory will increase its capacity and will become a benchmark and unique in Europe.

When the project is completed, the medium-voltage laboratory may also be used by companies not involved in the project, which will be able to carry out tests and trials of their equipment.