07/22/2004
GE SUPPLYING WIND TURBINES FOR NEW WIND PROJECT IN NORTHWESTERN PORTUGAL
MADRID, SPAIN - July 19th, 2004 - GE Energy will supply nine of its 1.5-megawatt wind turbines for the Parque Eólico de Alagoa de Cima project, a new wind farm located in northwestern Portugal, 39 kilometers from the Spanish border.
The new project will support Portugal's initiative to increase the country's installed wind power capacity to 3,750 megawatts by the year 2011. By the end of 2003, a total of 300 megawatts of wind-generated capacity had been installed in the country.
The wind initiative is part of the country's policy for developing renewable energy ("Política de desenvolvimento de Energias Renováveis em Portugal"), which states that by 2010, more than 39 percent of the country's energy will come from renewable sources, including wind. This policy exceeds a European Union goal that member nations obtain at least 12 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2010.
The new, 13.5-megawatt capacity wind farm will be owned by Eólica de Alagoa SA, a project company comprised of Novas Energías SA, (ENERNOVA), Hidroeléctrica Galaico-Portuguesa and the Muncipal Chamber of Arcos de Valdevez. ENERNOVA is the renewable energy unit of Electricidade de Portugal (EDP), the largest electric utility in Portugal and one of Europe's major electricity operators. EDP will purchase the power from the new wind farm.
In addition to supplying and installing the wind turbines, GE Energy is responsible for balance-of-plant construction, commissioning and two years of operation and maintenance services. All nine wind turbines are expected to be connected to the grid by the end of 2004. Less than a year ago, GE Energy supplied 21 of its 1.5-megawatt wind turbines to ENERNOVA for three wind farm sites in northern Portugal - Fonte da Quelha, Alto do Talefe and Padrela. These installations marked GE's first wind projects in the country.
"We are extremely pleased to continue our relationship with ENERNOVA," said Antonio Casla, general manager of GE Energy's wind business for Spain and Portugal. "The new contract shows their confidence in GE Energy's ability to fulfill their requirements. The project will enable GE to expand its presence in Portugal and to actively support the country's policies on renewable energy."
GE's 1.5-megawatt machines are among the most widely sold and tested wind turbines in their size range, with more than 2,300 units installed worldwide. The turbines for the new Portugal project will be assembled at GE's plant in Noblejas, Spain.
About Electricidade de Portugal
EDP is an electricity operator and a multi-disciplinary organization with activities that extend to such diverse areas as telecommunications and the Internet. EDP also participates in other business segments, including gas, water and the provision of services in the engineering and information systems fields. Since 2000, EDP also has been pursuing a multi-utility services strategy, with the objective of reducing costs.
In the context of partnerships with utility companies, EDP provides meter reading, the issue and collection of bills and commercial information systems.
About GE Energy
GE Energy ( www.gepower.com) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technology, with 2003 revenues of nearly $18.5 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy provides equipment, service and management solutions across the power generation, oil and gas, transmission and distribution, distributed power and energy rental industries.
With wind turbine design, manufacturing and/or assembly facilities in Germany, Spain and the United States, GE Energy is one of the world's leading wind power companies. Its current product portfolio includes wind turbines with rated outputs ranging from 1,500 to 3,600 kilowatts,and support services ranging from project development assistance to operation and maintenance. The company's knowledge base includes the installation of more than 6,600 wind turbines with a total capacity exceeding 4,700 megawatts.
The new project will support Portugal's initiative to increase the country's installed wind power capacity to 3,750 megawatts by the year 2011. By the end of 2003, a total of 300 megawatts of wind-generated capacity had been installed in the country.
The wind initiative is part of the country's policy for developing renewable energy ("Política de desenvolvimento de Energias Renováveis em Portugal"), which states that by 2010, more than 39 percent of the country's energy will come from renewable sources, including wind. This policy exceeds a European Union goal that member nations obtain at least 12 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2010.
The new, 13.5-megawatt capacity wind farm will be owned by Eólica de Alagoa SA, a project company comprised of Novas Energías SA, (ENERNOVA), Hidroeléctrica Galaico-Portuguesa and the Muncipal Chamber of Arcos de Valdevez. ENERNOVA is the renewable energy unit of Electricidade de Portugal (EDP), the largest electric utility in Portugal and one of Europe's major electricity operators. EDP will purchase the power from the new wind farm.
In addition to supplying and installing the wind turbines, GE Energy is responsible for balance-of-plant construction, commissioning and two years of operation and maintenance services. All nine wind turbines are expected to be connected to the grid by the end of 2004. Less than a year ago, GE Energy supplied 21 of its 1.5-megawatt wind turbines to ENERNOVA for three wind farm sites in northern Portugal - Fonte da Quelha, Alto do Talefe and Padrela. These installations marked GE's first wind projects in the country.
"We are extremely pleased to continue our relationship with ENERNOVA," said Antonio Casla, general manager of GE Energy's wind business for Spain and Portugal. "The new contract shows their confidence in GE Energy's ability to fulfill their requirements. The project will enable GE to expand its presence in Portugal and to actively support the country's policies on renewable energy."
GE's 1.5-megawatt machines are among the most widely sold and tested wind turbines in their size range, with more than 2,300 units installed worldwide. The turbines for the new Portugal project will be assembled at GE's plant in Noblejas, Spain.
About Electricidade de Portugal
EDP is an electricity operator and a multi-disciplinary organization with activities that extend to such diverse areas as telecommunications and the Internet. EDP also participates in other business segments, including gas, water and the provision of services in the engineering and information systems fields. Since 2000, EDP also has been pursuing a multi-utility services strategy, with the objective of reducing costs.
In the context of partnerships with utility companies, EDP provides meter reading, the issue and collection of bills and commercial information systems.
About GE Energy
GE Energy (
With wind turbine design, manufacturing and/or assembly facilities in Germany, Spain and the United States, GE Energy is one of the world's leading wind power companies. Its current product portfolio includes wind turbines with rated outputs ranging from 1,500 to 3,600 kilowatts,and support services ranging from project development assistance to operation and maintenance. The company's knowledge base includes the installation of more than 6,600 wind turbines with a total capacity exceeding 4,700 megawatts.
- Source:
- GE Energy USA
- Author:
- Dennis Murphy
- Email:
- Dennis.Murphy@ps.ge.com
