Page 27 - Energize January 2022

NEWS

Rare-earth-free innovator receives generator order

K firm GreenSpur Wind has confirmed
an order for three 70 kW rare-earth-free
Upermanent magnet direct drive generators
to Wind Harvest International of the United
States. The transaction represents a first US sale
for GreenSpur. Its unique ferrite-based generator
technology eliminates the need for high cost and
supply constrained rare-earth magnets. The order
is subject only to the success of Wind Harvest’s
current funding campaign.
Davis, California-based Wind Harvest has
a unique vertical axis wind turbine design that
operates below and around much larger propeller-
type turbines, increasing the energy production of
each. The scale of the opportunity for its innovative
wind turbine is huge, with Wind Harvest estimating generators work well in the base of our 10 to 20 m tall wind turbine towers. Our
a current potential market size in existing wind engineers have worked closely with the GreenSpur team to produce an optimised
farms of 140 GW which, if realized, would mean a design. We too are pleased with today’s announcement and see this as the start of
$280-billion, or more, global opportunity. an enduring commercial and technical collaboration.”

Rare-earths becoming even scarcer Contact Andrew Hine, GreenSpur Wind, andrew.hine@greenspur.co.uk
An international shortage of rare-earth magnets
is looming as China (which accounts for 70% of CCG FLPBox_Advert Jan 2022.pdf 1 10/12/2021 13:06
global supply) uses quotas to preserve its own
strategic supplies. The price of rare-earth magnets
– which are a key component in most wind turbine
generators and electric vehicles – has doubled over
the last year. An already tight market for rare-earth
magnet production has been further hampered
by China’s recent power shortages, while surging
commodity prices have increased generator
material costs yet further.
GreenSpur is unique in that it offers a rare-
earth-free generator to the wind industry.
Announcing the sale on behalf of GreenSpur,
Andrew Hine the company’s Commercial
Director stated: “We have been working with UK
Government and wider supply chain support to
develop a generator technology that can remove
rare-earth risk. Wind Harvest has recognised a
strategic advantage of eliminating this risk. In recent
months, we have optimised a 70 kW generator
design specifically for Wind Harvest’s H-type
turbines and are pleased with the subsequent order
that we announce today.”

Start of ‘enduring collaboration’
Confirming the order, Kevin Wolf, CEO of Wind
Harvest, added: “We have ambitious expansion
plans that benefit greatly from avoiding the use of
generators that rely on Chinese rare-earth magnets.
GreenSpur’s larger and ultimately less costly ferrite

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