IEC/ISO Joint Working Group Meeting on Wind Turbine Standards in Hangzhou, China, hosted by Romax Technology
A meeting of the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) Joint Working Group on International Wind Turbine Gearbox Standards was held last week (April 26th-29th) in Hangzhou, China, hosted by Romax Technology. This was the first IEC meeting hosted in China and finalized the development of new design standards for wind turbine gearboxes.
The IEC’s Joint Working Group was tasked with developing the next generation of international standards for wind turbine gearboxes. The group was made up of the industries’ leading specialists on wind turbine and gearbox design. Over twenty representatives from 10 different countries attended this meeting.
The meeting in Hangzhou was the last major meeting to prepare the final draft of the new standards, which directed and influenced the future development of wind turbine gearboxes worldwide.
The meeting was hosted by a British company Romax Technology, a leading technical consultancy of wind turbine gearboxes design and development, with a strong Chinese client base, including manufacturers such as DHI.DCW Group, Chongqing Gear Works, Shenyang Blower Works, QCMT&T Group, and ZWZ Bearings. Holding this meeting in China enabled the IEC delegates to gain a better understanding of the rapid technology development within this country.
With nearly 14GW of wind power installed in China in 2009, the location of the meeting indicated the importance of China in the global wind energy industry. Since the majority of wind turbines are now being manufactured in China, the meeting had important implications for many domestic wind turbine and gearbox manufacturers.
The meeting included an evening reception for IEC Joint working group delegates and a number of invited guests from the Chinese wind energy industry and local government. Delegates were also given an opportunity to visit China Wind Energy Expo in Shanghai, and Donghai Bridge Wind Farm.