Finland’s spring has warmed up to a hotter-than-usual summer up here in the North. Likewise, our fiscal year is proving to be warmer than anticipated. Thanks to several significant orders, we are heading toward a good year. And even as we move into our main summer months, our production will be running to make sure we are delivering our products according to schedule.
In our turbo/industry business unit, one of the most important milestones we reached just this month is the delivery of our first megawatt-class high-speed motor. We’ve also moved into series production for various other projects. This gives us a good factory load while we complete our standalone high-speed motor series that will be combined in a package with Yaskawa’s drive.
In marine, a highlight for this year so far was our presence at Nor-Shipping 2019 in Oslo, where a breeze of optimism in the marine industry at large received a warm welcome. The movement in the market is primarily due to the hybridization and electrification of vessels that are now making the switch to become more environmentally friendly while meeting new regulations and operating more profitably.
Our newly launched Poseidon Power portfolio encompasses our entire marine industry offering, bringing future-flexible solutions to next-generation vessels.
In particular, we noted a spiked interest in our permanent magnet motors and shaft generator systems, which have already proven their fuel-saving and emission-reducing capabilities. Our DC-Hub concept, complemented by the Electronic Bus Link (EBL), also gained the attention of the visitors.
We also introduced the Yaskawa U1000 Matrix Converter, which thanks to its integrated low harmonics offers clear benefits for propulsion winches, pumps and compressors.
Mid-June also marked the completion of our 4,000th module used in inverter, active front end and DC chopper applications – an achievement well worth celebrating! These modules are sailing on 1,000+ vessels, demonstrating our proven track record in the marine industry.
In wind, although the industry is still clearly consolidating, there’s an evident need for industry specialists, like us, with a wide experience of technology and a solid track record. Not everyone may know this – but our first direct-drive permanent magnet generator (PMG) is still running smoothly after 15 years of operation.
Another trend we’re seeing is the move toward larger powers. Even onshore turbines are moving to 5 MW and higher, where FPC and PMG technology will become the preferred choice. This makes our own efforts to promote these technologies even more relevant.
In China, we have tuned our business model to sell services instead of products to our existing customer base. This new concept allows us to take care of spare parts locally and serve our customers in the field with commissioning and after-sales support.
In all, this summer is set to be one to remember. Wishing you all a warm and relaxing break with your friends and family!
J-P