Vestas and GE settle patent dispute

Vestas and GE Renewable Energy have settled all disputes related to multiple claims of patent infringement, the two companies have announced.

by Craig Richard 25 June 2019

GE had claimed four Vestas models, including its V100-2MW (above), installed at 18 US projects were in breach of the patent

GE had initially filed a patent dispute in California against Vestas in 2017, over its zero-voltage ride-through technology, which enables wind turbines to manage grid faults.

The settlement includes a globally applicable cross-licence permitting both parties to use the technology covered by such patents, and a confidential payment from Vestas to GE.

It brings a close to their case pending in the US District Court for the Central District of California and all other pending proceedings related to patents-in-suit, the companies added.

GE had claimed Vestas’ V90-3MW, V100-2MW, V112-3MW and V117-3.3MW models installed in 18 projects across eight US states were in breach of the patent.

The dispute later expanded to cover four asserted patents — two owned by GE and two by Vestas.

In 2008, GE also brought a suit against Mitsubish Heavy Industries (MHI) for the same technology, which was eventually settled in 2013.