The "Fortuna" combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant at the Lausward location in the port of Düsseldorf was successfully handed over to the customer and operator, the Stadtwerke Düsseldorf public utility company, on January 22, 2016. The power plant has broken three world records: in the acceptance test a maximum electrical net output of 603.8 megawatts (MW) was achieved and the net energy conversion efficiency was around 61.5 percent. In addition, "Fortuna" can also deliver up to around 300 MW for the district heating system of the city of Düsseldorf – a further international peak value for a power plant equipped with only one gas and steam turbine. This increases the overall efficiency of natural gas as a fuel to 85 percent. The heart of the "Fortuna" CCGT power plant is the extremely powerful SGT5-8000H gas turbine from Siemens. Highly efficient and flexible CCGT power plants ideally complement renewable energy sources such as the wind and the sun, which are subject to fluctuations in their power outputs.
Siemens China will lead the company's global research in autonomous robotics. As part of Siemens' innovation strategy to master technology fields that are critical for future success. The company announced the move on Siemens Innovation Day China 2017, which was held in Suzhou. A global research community comprising experienced experts from around the world will focus on the research and development of new mechatronics systems, human-robot collaboration and the application of artificial intelligence in robotic controllers. In line with this strategic move, Siemens has also entered into a partnership with Tsinghua University, one of Siemens' Center of Knowledge Interchange universities, to jointly set up a robotics research center in Beijing.
The Velaro D is the fourth generation of high-speed trains that Siemens has developed on the basis of the Velaro platform. Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) classifies the train as the new Series 407 ICE 3 (predecessors: Series 403 and Series 406 ICE 3). In December 2013, Germany's Federal Railway Authority (EBA) approved the trains' operation – also in multiple-unit or so-called double-traction mode – on the Deutsche Bahn rail network. Passenger operation started on December 21, 2013.Authorization for operation in single-traction mode in France was granted in April 2015. Since June 2015 the trains have been travelling to Paris in regular passenger operation. In addition to Germany and France, the Velaro D is also intended for cross-border operation in Belgium.Since 2007, trains based on the Velaro platform have operated with high reliability for more than one billion kilometers in China, Russia, Spain and Turkey – equal to roughly 25,000 times around the globe.
After a six-year project period, including three years of construction work, the new Siemens headquarters building in Munich opened its doors on June 24, 2016. With about 45,000 square meters of aboveground floor space, the company has created a modern, inspiring work environment for about 1,200 employees. Environmental friendliness and energy efficiency play a key role here: the new building meets the world's highest sustainability standards. In 2010, Siemens and the city of Munich officially announced the launch of this innovative construction project and organized an architectural competition. The winning design, which was developed by the Danish architectural firm Henning Larsen Architects, skillfully combined tradition with the future. The historic Ludwig Ferdinand Palais and its adjacent building were renovated and seamlessly integrated into the new cutting-edge headquarters. Ever since the building opened in the summer of 2016, its ground floor and inner courtyards – with trees, a café, a restaurant and a water feature – have been publicly accessible. The new Siemens passageway creates a pedestrian corridor enabling Munich residents and visitors to stroll between the Bavarian capital's historic center and its museum district. The project was implemented by Siemens Real Estate, which is a leading corporate real estate company and is responsible for all of Siemens' real estate activities.
Siemens announced today that it has started a 15-year technical support and spare parts supply agreement with the U.S. passenger rail operator Amtrak for its 70 new Siemens ACS-64 electric locomotives in operation on the Northeast Corridor. This is Siemens' largest technical support contract for passenger locomotives to-date in the U.S. In 2010, Amtrak ordered 70 Amtrak Cities Sprinter electric locomotives from Siemens. The first locomotives are already in passenger service.