AMSC and Sinovel to Develop Multi-megawatt Advanced Wind Turbines

American Superconductor Corp. and Beijing-based Sinovel Wind Group Co. Ltd have expanded their strategic partnership to include additional wind turbine designs for both the onshore and offshore markets. Under the new agreement, Sinovel and AMSC’s wholly-owned AMSC Windtec subsidiary, will design and jointly develop a range of advanced, multi-megawatt-scale wind turbines that Sinovel plans to market and sell worldwide. Sinovel expects to begin volume production of these multi-megawatt-scale wind turbines by the end of 2012 and, as part of the agreement, will purchase core electrical components from AMSC for these new machines.

Sinovel is China’s largest wind turbine manufacturer and now ranks as the world’s third largest wind turbine manufacturer based on its market share in 2009, according to industry research firms MAKE Consulting and BTM Consult. In 2009, Sinovel shipped approximately 2,400 of its 1.5MW wind turbines (branded the SL1500) and approximately 100 of it 3MW wind turbines (branded the SL3000).

AMSC Windtec and Sinovel first formed their relationship in 2005. Since that time, AMSC has provided core electrical components for Sinovel’s 1.5MW wind turbines as well as engineering support services and power electronics for the 3MW and 5MW wind turbines that have been co-developed by Sinovel and AMSC Windtec. Sinovel began shipping 3MW wind turbines for the onshore and offshore markets in 2009.

“Sinovel has built a very strong, fast-growing wind turbine business in China and is now poised to address the global markets with highly reliable, competitively priced wind turbines,” said Greg Yurek, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AMSC. “We are excited to be able to expand the breadth and depth of our partnership with Sinovel to include a range of new wind turbine designs based on advanced technologies that will further strengthen Sinovel’s offerings on the world market through this decade and beyond.”

Sinovel

AMSC