Vantaa, Finland February 2, 2009 – The Switch continues strengthening its market position in its business area of megawatt-class generator and power converter packages for wind power and other renewable energy applications. For 2009, the company has received orders worth tens of millions of Euros. The company’s successful offering combines leading technology with record-achieving system reliability.
The demand for cutting-edge drive train technology from The Switch remains high despite the current gloomy economic situation worldwide. For 2009, the company has an impressive order backlog in the tens of millions of Euros. This includes repeat business as well as orders from recently acquired new OEM customers in Europe, North America and Asia.
“Our offering of permanent magnet generator (PMG) and full-power converter (FPC) packages is proving to be a winning solution in wind power development. We are the technology leader in geared and direct-driven wind turbine drive train solutions, and the benefits of our permanent magnet applications have made us a leading supplier in the market,” says Jukka-Pekka Mäkinen, President and CEO of The Switch.
“The PMG technology offers our customers significant increases in energy yield. We have been able to combine this with very high system reliability. Our machines have a proven track record already in operating availability that averages 98%. This provides unbeatable performance for onshore applications that often operate at partial loads for which the PMG technology is most efficient, as well as for tailored solutions, such as for offshore turbines that require high system reliability,” Mäkinen continues.
During 2008, The Switch continued its fast growth, exceeding that of the wind power market in general. The company has been successful in answering the high market demand with a network of carefully selected partners. In 2009, The Switch continues to serve its customers in Europe, North America and Asia with increased production capacity. At present, The Switch employs over 150 persons.