A leading German maker of wind turbines has signed an agreement to supply 30 of its high-output models to a subsidiary of Swiss utility Vattenfall AB for an offshore wind farm to be built in England.

The supply deal is for the 150-megawatt (MW) Ormonde Offshore Wind Farm planned for construction in 2011 in England’s northwest coast. It was signed between REpower Systems AG, Germany’s third largest wind turbine manufacturer, and Vattenfall subsidiary Ormonde Energy Limited.

For the project, which was approved by the UK government in 2007, REpower will send its 5M turbines, each with a rated output of 5 MW. REpower said the deal is its largest agreement ever in the UK.

Ormonde Offshore Wind Farm will be built in the Irish Sea, 35 kilometers from the town of Barrow-in-Furness. The 5M turbines that it will use will have 61-meter long blades and nacelles the size of two houses. The nacelle houses the electric generator. REpower said it has erected 17 of such turbines both onshore and offshore.

Vattenfall’s plans for the Ormonde wind project was negatively affected by the weakening of the sterling and increased costs, among other issues according to David Hodkinson, its head of wind power development in the UK.

But Hodkinson said the UK government’s April announcement of more incentives for offshore wind projects helped them to decide to go ahead with the plan.

In announcing the 2009 budget, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling doubled Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROC) from electricity generated from offshore wind projects. Utilities are obliged to buy ROCs. This was on top of the $2-billion budget for renewable energy and other measures that aim to address climate change.

Along with the supply deal, REpower and Vattenfall also signed a five-year offshore service and maintenance agreement for the Ormonde wind farm.


- Eric Dorente