Nysater wind project is a 474MW onshore wind cluster being developed in the Vasternorrland district of Sweden. Estimated to cost approximately €500m ($569m), the project will become the second biggest onshore wind farm in Sweden and one of the biggest onshore wind farms in Europe, upon completion.

Construction of the wind cluster, which comprises two wind farms, is expected to be started in 2018 and completed by 2021.

German energy utility E.ON is jointly developing the project with Credit Suisse Energy Infrastructure Partners (CSEIP), a Switzerland-based investor. CSEIP will hold 80% equity stake in the project through its advisory fund, while E.ON will hold the remaining 20% as well as operate the wind farm under an operations and maintenance agreement.

Nysater wind farm make-up

The 474MW Nysater wind cluster will consist of the Hastkullen and Bjornlandhojden wind farms with a capacity of 307MW and 167MW, respectively. The wind farms will be equipped with 114 Nordex turbines, 104 N149/4.0-4.5 turbines, and ten N131/3900 turbines.

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The N149/4.0-4.5 turbines are based on DELTA4000 technology platform, which ensure higher yield at a lower cost and energy consumption. The platform is the fourth-generation turbine offered by Nordex.

The turbine has a variable output ranging from 4MW to 4.5MW and yields approximately 28% more output than the N131/3600 model, which makes it the best yielding onshore wind turbine suitable for areas with light to medium wind speeds.

The turbine is equipped with a one-piece NR74.5 rotor blade and has a rotor sweep area of approximately 17,460m². The hub heights of the towers will vary as 105m, 125m, and 164m, depending on the wind site location.

The noise levels of the N149/4.0-4.5 turbine ranges between 103.6dBA and 106.1dBA. The electrical system of the turbine includes a double-fed asynchronous generator and frequency converter to achieve superior reliability and economic efficiency. The convertor and transformer are integrated into the nacelle for attaining higher yields.

The N131/3900 turbine model has an installed capacity of 3.9MW and features the NR65.5 rotor blade. The turbine has a swept area of 13,478m².

The turbines will be mounted on towers with hub heights of either 84m or 134m depending on the location. The noise level of the turbine is up to 106.2dBA.

The turbine models also feature the Nordex control system, which controls, regulates, and monitors the wind power systems. Based on a modular structure and standardized interfaces, the control system can be adjusted to meet the SCADA requirements of the customers.

Off-take of power produced at Nysater

E.ON and CSEIP have entered a power purchase agreement (PPA) with a global energy major for the off-take of power generated at the Nysater wind farm.

Financing of Nysater wind project

Norddeutsche Landesbank, the biggest commercial bank of Germany, has provided approximately €375m ($427m) debt financing for a period of 18 years for the project. The funding also includes ancillary and standby facilities.

Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) acted as advisor for Norddeutsche Landesbank with regard to the financing of the Nysater wind farm. Euler Hermes, an export credit agency based in Germany, is providing export credit agency backing for the financing.

DLA Piper served as the advisor to E.ON and CSEIP for the investment and funding of the Nysater wind farm.

Contractors involved in the Nysater power project

Nordex Group is the supplier of 114 wind turbines for the project.

In addition, Nordex was awarded an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract, in December 2018, for conducting civil engineering, and balance-of-plant (BoP) works for the Nysater wind project.