30 Nov 2009

ETL Certification enables manufacturers and wind farm developers to demonstrate electrical safety compliance.

Chicago, IL - Intertek (LSE: ITRK), a global leader in testing, inspection and certification services announces the industry’s first electrical safety certification of a large wind turbine gearbox in North America, for GE Drivetrain Technologies, a unit of GE Transportation based in Erie, PA. With the widely recognized ETL Listed Mark, this first-of-its-kind certification will provide GE with a means for ensuring that their equipment will be accepted by safety inspectors throughout North America.

Confusion on the regulatory requirements for product safety compliance for wind turbines has often lead to state, local and provincial inspectors delaying completion of wind turbine projects until owners or manufacturers can provide evidence that their product complies with applicable product safety standards. The gearbox certification is part of Intertek’s effort to qualify safety critical wind turbine components and sub-systems, and eventually the wind turbine as a whole. By providing certification for the major electrical and mechanical components such as the gearbox, Intertek reduces compliance challenges from inspectors.

“The lack of a U.S. national standard for wind turbines has slowed the growth of wind power in key states,” said Ann Ruggles, global business manager for Intertek’s wind power services. “In response, Intertek has stepped up with certification options that result in a quicker approval process. This ensures the greatest revenue potential for manufacturers, provides additional confidence to installers and inspectors, and delivers clean renewable energy solutions to the market.”

GE Drivetrain Technologies is the first company to have a wind turbine gearbox complete product safety certification. “The ETL Listing of our wind turbine gearbox is another sign of our commitment to our customers by ensuring that they meet their regulatory obligations,” according to Prescott Logan, Business Leader, GE Drivetrain Technologies. “By delivering Listed and Labelled gearboxes, we reduce the risk of Code-based challenges and potentially reduce the amount of time and effort for them to gain approval from the relevant safety authorities for any North American installation. Intertek effectively guided us through the process and demonstrated their wind turbine compliance engineering expertise.”

As an OSHA-recognized NRTL (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory) in the United States and a Testing Organization (TO) and Certification Organization (CO) accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), Intertek has evaluated over 1,000 large wind turbines in North America. Intertek is accredited to evaluate and certify products to a wide variety of National product safety standards. Products proven to comply with those standards are then eligible to bear the ETL Listed Mark, the fastest-growing safety certification mark in North America.

For further information on Intertek’s wind power testing services, visit www.intertek.com/wind.

Contacts

Roy Strunin
Senior Marketing Manager
Telephone: 978-263-2662
roy.strunin@intertek.com

About Intertek

Intertek is a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world. From auditing and inspection, to testing, quality assurance and certification, Intertek people are dedicated to adding value to customers' products and processes, supporting their success in the global marketplace.

Intertek has the expertise, resources and global reach to support its customers through its network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 24,000 people in more than 100 countries around the world.