Siemens Energy has installed the first prototype of a newly designed direct-drive wind turbine. The new SWT-3.0-101 DD is a gearless machine with a power rating of 3MW. It has a rotor diameter of 101 meters.

The prototype was installed close to the Danish town of Brande. Siemens will thoroughly test and validate the performance of the SWT-3.0-101 before the new product will be officially launched for sale in 2010. The new SWT-3.0-101 DD features a new, compact synchronous generator excited by permanent magnets. The generator was produced by the Large Drives Business Unit within the Siemens Industry Sector.