Alstom has finally made inroads into the Canadian Wind Power Market, with the Supply Agreement of 414 MW of wind turbines for Largest Wind Project in Canada.
According to the Agreement, Alstom (link) will supply 414 MW of wind turbines, which includes 138 ECO 110 3.0 MW wind turbines (link) for €420 million NaturEner’s Wild Rose Projects in the Canadian province of Alberta. Also Alstom will provide maintenance services for the Wind Farm. Alstom will assemble the turbine nacelles in its factories located in Amarillo, Texas, and in Buñuel, Spain, and will source other components globally.
“Alstom Wind is proud to work with NaturEner and the province of Alberta on this landmark project,” said Andy Geissbuehler, head of Alstom’s North American Wind business. “The combination of Alstom’s proven technology and NaturEner’s extensive experience in developing renewable energy projects will enable us to provide an efficient and reliable technology solution that takes full advantage of the strong wind profile of these sites. The project also demonstrates Alstom’s ability to support utilities and independent developers with proven wind power technologies that can support utility scale projects in North America.”
“NaturEner is truly excited to be working with Alstom to bring the Wild Rose projects into commercial operation,” said Jose M. Sanchez-Seara, CEO of NaturEner North America. “While much work remains to be done, we are strongly committed to working with Alstom to achieve our mutual goals. After having successfully built 399 MW in the United States, the Wild Rose projects will add up to 414 MW to NaturEner’s operating assets, solidifying NaturEner as a robust renewable energy platform in North America.”
The Wild Rose 1 and Wild Rose 2 wind farms will be located on private agricultural land in Cypress County, southeast of the city of Medicine Hat in the province of Alberta. Scheduled to enter commercial operations at the end of 2014 and end of 2015, Wild Rose 1 and 2 will be the largest wind farm in Canada on a combined basis, with a total installed generation capacity of approximately 414 MW.
Alberta Wind Market Rising
The province of Alberta is a net importer of electricity - importing roughly 70 TWh annually. Coal and gas power plants produce 82 percent of its domestic power generation capacity. The province currently has 1,117 MW of wind generation capacity installed on its electric transmission system, representing approximately eight per cent of Alberta’s total installed generation capacity. Up to 2,000 MW of additional wind power generation could be developed in southern Alberta over the next 10 years.
