A change of perspective is needed to tackle the soaring rare earth prices

The growing global demand of rare earth metals combined with China’s ever-tightening grip on the material keep pushing up the magnet prices. While we at The Switch don’t think that the price trend can last for too long, we understand that the matter is of great concern for the wind power industry. To tackle with this alarming situation and to meet future needs, the industry needs to change its perspective to open up to new opportunities.

The Switch has done intense research and development to reduce the amount of magnets needed for the production of permanent magnet generators. Based on the successful testing of 20 different machine types, we are in a unique position to make third generation permanent magnet machines. By combining our extensive field experience with our state-of-the-art design methods, not only do we have the skills to produce classical machines but we can also bring new innovation to the permanent magnet generators field.

The Switch - Panu Kurronen

Switching on frequently 02/2021: Endless summer days

Summer has arrived bringing us endless days and white nights. This time, due to COVID-19, the cold and dark winter has felt longer than ever before. Luckily, now we seem to be on top of this pandemic, and life is normalizing.

Flashbacks from 2020

As we come to the end of this calendar year, it is a good time to look back on our achievements and the major happenings of 2020.

The electric revolution – sailing the smart green seas

What are the developments in advanced shipping technology? Will it be possible to curtail not only the environmental damage being done by shipping but also improve shipping transport conditions and lower vessel lifecycle costs? Read on.

The Switch full-power converters support Goldwind’s first-rate quality for US market

The Switch, a provider of megawatt-class permanent magnet generator and full-power converter packages for wind power and other new energy applications, announced today that it has signed a new contract to continue delivering its FPCs to Goldwind.

Goldwind, one of the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturers, is currently increasing its presence in the US market. The Switch, based in Finland, has been a preferred supplier to Goldwind for the past five years.

The Switch - The Switch full-power converters support Goldwind’s first-rate quality for US market

Are you IMO 2020 compliant?

On January 1, the IMO 2020 rule went into effect, reducing the amount of sulfur allowed in marine fuels to 0.5%. With over 170 countries on board, the benefits should add up quickly. But if you’re not compliant already, what’s the best way to adapt?

What makes an optimal wind turbine?

During 2011, permanent magnet machine manufacturers experienced moments of fear. The prices for rare earth materials were spiraling upwards uncontrollably. Since then, the situation has stabilized to a level slightly higher than before the crisis. But what’s the overall situation right now?

Blossoming in 2019

Our fiscal year is not the calendar year. Instead, it runs from March 1 through the end of February, as is typical for many Japanese companies. The Japanese new year starts with the blossoming of cherry trees. And, similarly, our business has been flourishing, too. Our revenue has grown and our profitability improved during the past fiscal year.

Blossoming in 2019

Our fiscal year is not the calendar year. Instead, it runs from March 1 through the end of February, as is typical for many Japanese companies. The Japanese new year starts with the blossoming of cherry trees. And, similarly, our business has been flourishing, too. Our revenue has grown and our profitability improved during the past fiscal year.