General Electric (GE) has agreed to acquire the 55-megawatt Alsleben project from EAB Technology Group for an undisclosed price. The purchase is GE's third in the German wind power sector.
The Alsleben project, located between Magdeburg and Halle, is one of Germany’s largest wind farms and when completed will consist of 37 of GE’s 1.5-megawatt turbines.
Construction of the Alsleben facility began last week and will include a power substation and upgrade of a transmission line. EAB, the project developer and construction manager, will continue as technical advisor, while GE Energy will operate and maintain the wind farm. It is scheduled to enter commercial service by April 2006, selling its electricity to the regional grid operator.
The wind farm will annually produce power sufficient for about 30,000 homes and will save approximately 100,000 tons a year in greenhouse gas emissions, compared with equivalent fossil fuel generation, according to GE.