Spain - In its inaugural year, Gamesa's orders for the new G97-2.0 MW turbine totalled 356 MW in the second half of 2011

CORE FACTS:
1. Europe accounted for the largest share of orders (40%), followed by China (28%) and the US (26.4%)
2. With the G97-2.0 MW, Gamesa entered into a new market: Canada, where it signed a contract to deliver its first 10 MW
3. Gamesa in 2011 began marketing and delivering the G97 for low-wind sites: the company expects it will drive more than 50% of demand for the 2.0 MW class of turbine
4. Gamesa began manufacturing the turbine in four regions simultaneously: Europe, China, India and the US

Gamesa, a global technology leader in the wind energy sector, secured contracts to supply 356 MW of its new G97-2.0 MW wind turbine in deals signed in the second half of 2011 - the year of the global launch of this new turbine. Europe, specifically Spain, accounted for the largest share of orders: 40% of the total, or 71 units of the G97-2.0 MW turbine amounting to 142 MW of capacity for the Spanish market.

China accounted for 28% of orders, with a total of 100 MW, followed closely by the United States, which generated orders for 94 MW (26.4% of the total) in this period. Meanwhile, customers in India ordered 10 MW (2.8%) matching orders from Canada. The Canadian deal marks Gamesa's first contract in the country.

Gamesa began manufacturing this turbine in four regions simultaneously. Factories in Spain, China, India and the US are currently producing the new turbines, following upgrades of existing facilities or plant expansions (in the case of India), to address rising demand from this growing market.

Demand for this class of 2.0 MW turbine lies at more than 50%. In late 2010 and early 2011 Gamesa conducted the global launch of its new G9X-2.0 MW platform, which consists of a 2.0-MW wind turbine equipped with four rotors of varying diameters (80 m, 87 m, 90 m and 97 m) and multiple tower heights, making it the most versatile turbine on the market.

The new platform's launch began with the G97-2.0 MW Class IIIA turbine, which is tailored for low-wind sites, where Gamesa expects such locations to drive more than 50% of demand in the 2.0 MW category. The Gamesa G97-2.0 MW features a swept area 16% larger than that of the current G90 turbine and promises to exceed the existing model's energy output by nearly 14%.

The Gamesa G97-2.0 MW wind turbine features a new aerodynamic blade tip design and Gamesa's NRS® noise control system, which is developed to ensure maximum output at minimal noise.

Like other turbine models in the G9X stable, the new system also offers a series of improvements (e.g. an improved power curve and significantly lower noise levels), along with an updated design, with improvements in the cooling system and a state-of-the-art nacelle design.

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