INVESTING IN ENERGY TRANSITION
Building the Offshore Wind Factories of the Future
Our goal is to help the global renewable energy industry reduce the time required to fabricate offshore wind tower foundations. We aim to accomplish this by providing our customers with the latest submerged arc welding solutions. Our Power Wave® AC/DC 1000® SD platform, industry- leading Oerlikon brand consumables, and long stick out (LSO) welding technology are integral to the success of the offshore wind factories of the future.
The Global Wind Energy Council announced in September 2022: “If the world is to get on track for a 1.5°C-compliant pathway to net zero, annual global wind energy installations must quadruple by 2030 to around 390 GW per year, according to the International Energy Agency, and by 2050, wind energy must generate more than one-third of global electricity, up from 6% today.”
We are a leading supplier to the offshore wind industry and play a critical role in the global expansion of the supply chain. Our experience began decades ago with the first towers installed in Europe. Our history of knowledge in wind tower assembly and shipbuilding, combined with our innovative product portfolio, allows us to supply fabricators across the value chain.
The offshore wind factory of the future is underway now, with new sites under construction worldwide. With the urgency to boost offshore wind capacity by 2030, key industry leaders and new fabricators are investing significantly in supply chain capacity. These new factories are incorporating Lincoln Electric welding technology and automation for metal forming, welding, and material handling to manage the complexity of producing such large structures.
Our technology, products, and expertise help customers reduce the time to manufacture the foundations needed for the next generation of wind turbines, soon to exceed 20 megawatts. For example, our welding process improvements have allowed the LSO technology to optimize plate preparation in narrow groove. Our technology helps wind industry manufacturers lower the welding hours required to fabricate offshore foundations, reducing costs and energy requirements.
With higher levels of welding automation technology provided by Lincoln Electric and its global partners, we are helping the renewable industry to achieve the ambitious installed capacity targets by 2030 by delivering automation technology. These cooperative industry building blocks are critical to increasing the global supply chain capacity to support the offshore wind industry and its key players’ ambitions.
Our dedicated engineers, business developers, and commercial teams engage with all levels of the global leaders in wind energy fabrication. We are proud members of the International Partnering Forum (IPF) for Offshore Wind and we plan to join the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) to support future expansion of the industry.
This exciting new initiative [EV charging systems] reinforces the long-term value we believe we can generate from our innovation, operational capabilities, and R&D engineers as we seek to accelerate growth as part of our Higher Standard 2025 Strategy. CHRISTOPHER MAPES Lincoln Electric CEO
Designing for Electrification
Charging Systems: We recently announced a new initiative to design and manufacture an electric vehicle (EV) charging system at our operations in Cleveland, Ohio. The Company’s 50-kilowatt DC fast charger power module has a scalable architecture that can deliver power levels over 300 kilowatts and a single charge port pedestal compatible with CCS-1 vehicles. We hope to alleviate the “range anxiety” that EV owners experience and contribute to the broader adoption of EV and plug-in hybrid cars in the United States. The Company aims to launch our latest product in 2023 and seeks commercial development partners.
Battery Trays: Battery trays in electric vehicles must meet a complex set of rigidity, thermal resistance, and weight requirements. As the primary structural element of the battery, these trays must protectthe modules throughout the vehicle’s life while supporting optimum range and performance. The Hot Wire Laser Welding process is ideal for fabricating these because of its high travel speed, high quality, and ability to alloy the weld to avoid cracking in 6061 aluminum.
In Hot Wire Laser processing, a resistance heated wire contacts the workpiece in a puddle created by a laser beam. Lincoln Electric’s Power Wave R450 with Precision Power Laser (PPL) Waveform supports applications like tray fabrication, which requires high travel speeds and low heat input. The Precision Power Waveform actively monitors the condition of the wire throughout the process and can suppress any sustained arcing. This capability maximizes the weld’s consistency and robustness of the process. Manufacturers can use PPL in cladding, welding, brazing, or additive manufacturing. The additional benefits of this process include avoiding flammable materials used in laser powder cladding and thermal spray processes, minimization of fumes, and a potential reduction in waste materials generation.