GE Energy will supply a total of 57 2.5xl wind turbines to Arise Windpower AB, a Swedish wind developer. The first five wind turbines are already on order and will be installed at the Brunsmo project near Karlskrona in southern Sweden. Both the companies have signed a memorandum of understanding for the frame agreement that includes the remaining 52 wind turbines. The new wind turbines are scheduled to be shipped and installed to the project site in the fourth quarter of 2009.
GE is part of Arise Windpower’s strategy to have 300 large-scale wind turbines in operation by 2014. According to Arise Windpower, the turbines will produce two terawatthours of electricity annually, an amount that is equal to total wind power production at present in Sweden.
The Karlskrona-Brunsmo project and the frame agreement support Sweden’s goal to have 50% of its energy coming from renewable sources by the year 2020. To achieve this goal, Sweden must increase its supply of renewable energy by about 10% over the next 11 years.
“Arise Windpower aspires to be one of the leading land-based wind power companies in Sweden, so it is natural for us to team up with other leading players,” said Arise Windpower Chairman Pehr G. Gyllenhammar. “Today’s agreements, the first between GE and Arise Windpower, will benefit both companies and will enhance our competitiveness in this increasingly competitive industry.”
“The future of wind power is about scale, project efficiency and making use of leading technology. Our agreements with GE Energy give us access to the latest wind turbine technology available. I believe that our collaboration has the potential to provide the highest efficiency for the Karlskrona wind farm and our other projects in development,” Pehr added.
GE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Immelt, remarked, “GE and Arise Windpower share the common goal of aspiring to become major players in the Nordic wind segment. These agreements to supply our advanced wind turbines to projects in Sweden symbolize the strong relationship that both companies have developed and our desire to foster growth in clean technology.”
“With its commitment to renewable energy, Sweden is one of the most promising areas in Europe for the development of wind power. We are very pleased that our 2.5xl wind turbine technology is being introduced into southern Sweden, which has the potential to become a powerhouse provider of clean, green wind energy,” Immelt stated.
Developed to generate more electricity at lower wind speed sites, the 2.5xl technology is suited for the climatic conditions of the Karlskrona area and in general for wind projects in forested regions.
While this project marks the debut of GE’s 2.5xl wind turbines in the Nordic region, more than 100 of the 2.5 MW machines already have been installed across Europe and have compiled more than one million operating hours. In addition, GE has received more than one gigawatt of commitments over 2010 and a half to provide 2.5xl wind turbines for projects across Europe.
The 2.5xl is designed to yield the more annual energy production in its class.
The 2.5xl wind turbines for the Karlskrona-Brunsmo project will be manufactured at GE Energy’s wind turbine facilities in Salzbergen, Germany, which recently was expanded to help meet Europe’s growing demand for wind turbines.