Windy dealings

GE Energy has inked an agreement with Energias de Portugal (EDP) - the world's fourth largest wind project developer - to supply $730m worth of wind turbines for new wind projects in Europe and the US.

GE will supply Neo Energia, the European renewable branch of EDP, with 80 2.5xl wind turbines for new wind projects in Europe. In addition, it will provide EDP's American branch - Horizon Wind Energy - with 201 1.5MW wind turbines for projects in the US at sites yet to be determined. EDP purchased Houston-based Horizon earlier this month, as part of an expansion into the North American wind energy industry.

The European part of the deal alone represents GE's largest supply of 2.5xl wind turbines to date. Introduced last year, the 2.5xl is the largest GE wind turbine for onshore applications.

Sixty-six of the 2.5xl units will be provided for new wind farms in Spain. These projects are owned by the wind farm developer Neo Energia, which has about 14 per cent of the Iberian wind market. According to the European Wind Energy Association, Spain had 11,615MW of installed wind capacity at the beginning of 2007, ranking third in the world behind Germany and the United States, while Portugal had 1,716MW.

Fourteen of the 2.5xl machines will be supplied for a new wind farm located in Belgium, also belonging to an affiliate of Neo Energia. Interest in wind energy continues to grow in Belgium, which had 188MW of installed wind capacity at the start of 2007, compared to 45 five years ago.

Sixty-seven of the GE wind turbines for the US projects and 30 turbines for the European projects are expected to be commissioned before the end of 2008.