Sheffield Forgemasters Supplies Revolutionary Renewables Project

Published: 13 August 2020

Sheffield Forgemasters is manufacturing key components for a revolutionary new device for the renewable energy sector.

We will supply energy giant GE’s Power Conversion Business with central components for Rotating Stabilisers, large turbine-like devices which work to stabilise electricity fluctuations on the electrical grid.

An initial delivery will comprise of a main rotator shaft and hub for a Rotating Stabiliser located in Moray, Scotland and developed by Statkraft - a leading provider of renewable energy.

main rotator hub and shaft

Kunal Popat, Senior Sales Manager, said: “This is an exciting project to be involved in, we are delighted to be working with GE Power Conversion on their first Rotating Stabiliser for the UK Energy sector, an identified growth sector for Sheffield Forgemasters.

“The challenge of forging these large components and then conducting a delicate heat-shrink fit to bond the hub onto the Rotating Stabiliser's main shaft, is significant and our Research, Design and Technology team has had considerable input into the design of both components and the subsequent route to manufacture.

“We are initially supplying the components to a site in Scotland, but hope to further the work we are doing with Rotating Stabilisers as part of a broader programme of renewables projects, which includes expansion of our subsea work for offshore wind power.”

As more clean renewable energy sources are added to the grid, stability that was provided by fossil fuel plants is no longer present, therefore new sources of stability need to be provided.

Rotating Stabilisers are high-inertia rotating machines that can support the grid network by substantially reducing frequency deviations by exporting and importing power.

Sheffield Forgemasters will deliver its first GE Power Conversion components in early 2021.

“We are pleased to be working together with Sheffield Forgemasters to deliver GE’s new Rotating Stabiliser synchronous machines to strengthen UK grid resilience and responsiveness” said Andy Cooper, Managing Director of GE’s Power Conversion UK business.