Fulfilling an agreement first forged by GE Energy and Hydro-Quebec in October, GE Energy has signed contracts with two developers to supply up to 660 wind turbines for eight projects in the province of Quebec.
When the projects come on line between 2006 and 2012, they will add 990 megawatts of wind-generated electricity to the power grid of Hydro-Québec, an international power generation, transmission and distribution company.
The contract signings follow a memorandum of understanding signed in October, naming GE Energy as the turbine supplier for the projects. It marks the largest single award for wind generation capacity in the history of the global wind energy industry.
GE will supply up to 740 megawatts of wind turbines to Cartier Wind Energy and up to 250 megawatts of wind turbines to Northland Power Inc./Northland Power Income Fund. Both were winning bidders in a solicitation for awards initiated by Hydro-Quebec, under a 2003 request for proposals to supply 1,000 megawatts of new wind power capacity by 2012.
The wind turbines for the new projects will be GE’s 1.5-megawatt machines, which are among the largest wind turbines assembled in North America and among the most widely utilized megawatt-class wind turbines in the world, with more than 2,500 installations.
Over the course of six years, GE’s wind turbines will be installed at eight potential locations including Anse-a-Valleau, Baie-des-Sables, St.-Ulric/St.Leandre, Carleton, Les Mechins, Mont Louis, Montagne – Seche, and Gros Morne I and II. The power generated will be provided to Hydro-Quebec Distribution, the utility’s retail division, for distribution throughout Quebec.