Siemens Gamesa and GE trade patent infringement complaints

Wind turbine manufacturers Siemens Gamesa and GE Renewable Energy have filed patent infringement complaints against each other in the United States.

Siemens Gamesa filed the patent infringement complaint against GE Renewable Energy in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on 29 September.

In the complaint, Siemens Gamesa is alleging that GE’s offshore wind turbine Haliade-X infringes Siemens Gamesa’s offshore Direct Drive technology patents.

”As the global leading provider of offshore wind turbines with more than 1,000 offshore Direct Drive turbines installed and more than 2,000 sold, Siemens Gamesa is strongly committed to the offshore wind power market and invests heavily in research and innovation to increase efficiency and reduce the levelized cost of energy (LCoE),” Siemens Gamesa said in a statement.

”The protection of intellectual property rights is essential to foster continued investments in innovation. Siemens Gamesa is determined to protect its offshore Direct Drive technology innovations and believes firmly in the case against GE.”

Siemens Gamesa’s complaint comes after GE Renewable Energy filed a patent infringement complaint against Siemens Gamesa with the United States International Trade Commission at the end of July.

In its complaint, GE Renewable Energy is alleging that Siemens Gamesa’s wind turbines infringe on GE’s patented low-voltage-ride-through and zero-voltage-ride-through technologies, which ensure that the wind turbines will pass ride-through certification.

”It is GE’s view that the protection of intellectual property rights is the foundation for driving both innovation and investment in high technology industries generally, and the associated creation of high value jobs. GE believes strongly in the merits of its case against SGRE, and will continue to protect its technology in the U.S,” GE Renewable Energy said.

In response to Siemens Gamesa filing the complaint against GE Renewable Energy, a spokesperson for the Paris-headquartered wind turbine manufacturer said that this ”appears to be a retaliatory move in response to our earlier lawsuits filed against them to protect GE’s IP rights.”

”The Siemens Gamesa lawsuit has no merit, and we will vigorously defend ourselves against this action,” GE Renewable Energy’s spokesperson said.

On the other hand, a spokesperson for Siemens Gamesa said that GE’s complaint and the request within ”seeking an exclusion order against SGRE’s importation of wind turbine equipment into the United States,” has not yet been served and that Siemens Gamesa will be defending against it.

”We are confident that features and functionalities marketed by SGRE do not infringe any valid third parties’ intellectual property rights,” Siemens Gamesa’s spokesperson said.