Billion dollar wind

GE Energy has signed a $1bn deal with Invenergy to supply four hundred 1.5MW wind turbines for projects in North America, and eighty of its 2.5MW wind turbines for European applications.

The deal marks the first time a US-based developer has selected GE’s 2.5MW turbines for projects in Europe.

Based in Chicago, Invenergy has approximately 2,700MW of natural gas fueled power plants and more than 1,200MW of wind power projects in construction or operation in North America and Europe. Invenergy’s development of wind energy facilities is carried out through its wholly owned affiliate, Invenergy Wind.

GE’s 1.5MW wind turbine is among the most widely used machines in the global wind industry, with more than 7,700 installed around the world. The 2.5MW turbine is the largest GE wind turbine available for onshore applications, and has been designed to meet the market requirements of the European Union, where lack of available land constrains the size of wind projects.

Since 2004, GE has achieved a 500 per cent increase in wind turbine production, with its wind business revenues exceeding $4bn in 2007. According to the American Wind Energy Association, over the past two years, GE has supplied wind turbines representing nearly half of the new wind capacity across the US.

All of the new wind turbines are slated for shipment during 2009.