American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC) (Nasdaq: AMSC), a leading electricity solutions company, today announced it has received a follow-on order for its proprietary PowerModule(TM)-based wind turbine generator control systems for 150 wind turbines from Windtec Systemtechnik GmbH (Windtec), a supplier of large wind turbine components and system technology, based in Klagenfurt, Austria. The PowerModule-based control systems will be utilized in the electrical equipment of wind turbine generators -- each rated at 1.5 megawatts -- which Windtec plans to ship to China in calendar 2006. AMSC expects to ship the PowerModule PM1000 power converters, which manage and stabilize electricity produced by wind turbine generators, to Windtec by the end of calendar year 2006.
This is the third and largest order that Windtec has recently placed with American Superconductor and follows Windtec's successful utilization of AMSC's PowerModule PM1000 Product Developer Kit in a wind turbine test bed and its subsequent first production order for PowerModule control systems for 23 wind turbines in China and Japan.
"Windtec is quite pleased with the PowerModule's flexible platform, which allows us to quickly develop both hardware and software elements required by our control systems," said Gerald Hehenberger, President of Windtec. "AMSC's PowerModule systems provide us with a critical competitive edge to penetrate the rapidly growing Chinese wind market. We are very excited to have a strong foothold in what is anticipated to be the largest wind turbine market in the world."
North American Windpower Magazine recently reported a new study that shows China could at least double its current wind energy target for 2020. The report, which was released by the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association (CREIA) and sponsored by Greenpeace and the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), also indicated that China's current wind energy plan is to reach 20 GW by 2020. This scale of wind power would need 20,000 typical modern wind turbines by 2020, and the investment generated could be worth $40 billion, putting China on track to become the world's biggest energy market by 2020.
"Our customers like Windtec are able to leverage the capabilities of the PowerModule PM1000 platform to rapidly develop innovative solutions for wind customers around the world," said Greg Yurek, chief executive officer of AMSC. "This is a prime example of how our proprietary PowerModule system is an enabling technology that solves the problems of voltage regulation quickly and efficiently and allows for rapid deployment to meet market opportunities. We are delighted that Windtec has selected our product for their expansion into the exploding wind market in China."
With this new order, AMSC, through its proprietary D-VAR(R) and PowerModule PM1000 product lines will be providing voltage regulation and meeting grid interconnection standards for over 1.3 billion watts of zero emission wind generated electricity for wind farms in Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Scotland and the U.S.
PowerModule PM1000 Technology
Each wind turbine generator control system that AMSC supplies to Windtec comprises a PowerModule PM1000 line-side converter and a PowerModule PM1000 generator-side converter. Synchronized operation of the two units is coordinated through high speed Controlled Area Network (CAN) communications. Integration of Windtec's proprietary software into the PowerModule PM1000 power converter was achieved through AMSC's PowerModule Advanced Configuration Tools (P-ACT(TM)). The P-ACT tool set provides an Application Programming Interface (API) that allows engineers access to PM1000 parameters and communication objects. The P-ACT tool set also provides a development framework to allow automatic linking of customer code with AMSC's core software.
To learn more about AMSC's PowerModule PM1000 product line please see http://www.amsuper.com/products/powerConversion/103419060731.cfm, or contact Mr. Perry Schugart at 800-272-2755 (international: +1-262-901-6036).
About Windtec Engineering GmbH (Windtec)
Windtec is a supplier of large wind turbine components and system technology. Its equipment is found in wind farms in many countries around the globe, and installations deploying its technology for wind turbines up to a rating of 5 MW. http://www.windtec.at
About American Superconductor Corporation (Nasdaq: AMSC)
AMSC is the world's principal vendor of high temperature superconductor (HTS) wire and large rotating superconductor machinery, and it is a world- leading supplier of dynamic reactive power grid stabilization products. AMSC's HTS wire and power electronic converters are at the core of a broad range of new electricity transmission and distribution, transportation, medical and industrial processing applications, including dynamic reactive power grid stabilization solutions, large ship propulsion motors and generators, smart, controllable, superconductor power cables and advanced defense systems. The company's products are supported by hundreds of patents and licenses covering technologies fundamental to Revolutionizing the Way the World Uses Electricity(TM). More information is available at http://www.amsuper.com.
American Superconductor and design, AMSC, POWERED BY AMSC, Revolutionizing the Way the World Uses Electricity, PowerModule and P-ACT are trademarks of and D-VAR is a registered trademark of American Superconductor Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Any statements in this release about future expectations, plans and prospects for the Company, including statements containing the words "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will" and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include: uncertainties regarding the Company's ability to obtain anticipated funding from corporate and government contracts, to successfully develop, manufacture and market commercial products, and to secure anticipated orders; the risk that a robust market may not develop for the Company's products; the risk that strategic alliances and other contracts may be terminated; the risk that certain technologies utilized by the Company will infringe intellectual property rights of others; the competition encountered by the Company, including several large Japanese companies. Reference is made to these and other factors discussed in the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation" section of the Company's most recent quarterly or annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this release. While the Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause the Company's views to change, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date this press release is issued.
Contact Information
Media
Lisa-Marie Barker
508-621-4375
American Superconductor
lmbarker@amsuper.com
Investors
Kevin Bisson
508-621-4220
American Superconductor
investor@amsuper.com