Construction recently began on a new wind farm in the Alsleben-Schackstedt region of Germany, 70 kilometres northwest of Leipzig. It will feature 37 GE 1.5MW wind turbines and will add 55.5MW of installed wind power capacity to the country’s electricity grid. The project was developed by EAB Technology Group and recently acquired by GE Energy Financial Services in its third investment in wind power generation in Germany.  Over the coming years, GE Energy Financial Services intends to increase its investment in Europe’s growing energy markets, particularly in high quality renewable energy projects such as wind power. EAB Technology Group, the project developer and construction manager, will continue as technical advisor. GE Energy’s Wind Energy Unit will provide installation and maintenance services for the project on a long-term basis.

Beijing Guotou Energy Conservation Company has selected GE Energy as the turbine supplier for two new wind farms in the Hebei and Xinjiang provinces of China. The Hebei Zhangbei Wind Project, which will be located in northeastern China, will comprise 30 wind turbines. In northwestern China, the Xinjiang Tuoli Wind Project will consist of 20 wind turbines. Both projects will utilise GE’s 1.5MW machines. In addition to the wind turbines, GE Energy will supply power engineering, technical services and special tools and training for the two new projects. The GE equipment will be manufactured at GE Energy’s wind business facilities in Germany.

Over the past few years, it has become increasingly difficult to finance German wind farms. This is partially because of the instruments applied. ‘New methods of finance, such as leasing models, are still not the norm in Germany,’ explains Frank Trauboth, Chairman of the International Project Realization committee at the German Federal Wind Power Association. One example of the new routes being taken is the Roth wind farm, which Nordex AG constructed in the North Eifel region in Germany with funding supplied by a leasing bank. A leasing company provided the capital for the turnkey completion of the wind farm, which comprises a total of 15 turbines with a nominal output of 22.5MW. The equity component was financed by Babcock & Brown, Nordex AG’s final customer. The overall project had a value of around € 25 million. ‘Following the favourable experience gained with lease financing for smallish projects outside Germany, the Roth wind farm is a model for future project financing in Germany for us,’ explains Thomas Richterich, CEO of Nordex AG. The leasing bank also wants to extend this business, particularly in Eastern Europe. However, what is important is that the pilot project proves to be economically viable. Babcock & Brown has entered into a full-service maintenance contract with Nordex.

Siemens Power Generation has announced an agreement with FPL Energy, the wholesale generation subsidiary of FPL Group Inc., for wind turbines totalling up to 600MW. Siemens will manufacture, install and commission its 2.3MW Mk II wind turbines for FPL Energy. Delivery of the wind turbines will begin in 2006 and support the planned expansion of wind-driven electricity generation projects at FPL Energy.

REpower Systems AG is one of three German manufacturers participating in the newly established “Foundation for Offshore Wind Energy”. REpower is due to construct four REpower 5M turbines in a test field outside Borkum in 2007 and in the process become involved in an offshore wind park located in German waters for the first time. The park will include a total of 12 turbines. The foundation was established to bundle the interests of as many participants in the offshore wind energy industry as possible. The foundation’s board of trustees is composed of manufacturers such as REpower, organisations and major energy providers, as well as institutions including the German Ministry of the Environment and representatives of the German coastal states. Planning is expected to be concluded as quickly as possible, so as to allow construction of the wind park to begin next year. The first turbines are due to be connected to the grid in 2007.

REpower Systems AG has been awarded a large order in Portugal. For ENERGI E2 Renovables Ibéricas S.L. – a subsidiary of the Danish utility ENERGI E2 – and its Portuguese partner Eólica São Julião, REpower Portu-gal is to erect a total of 13 2-megawatt wind turbines. The order volume is just un-der € 26 million. The Joguinho II wind park is located in Torres Vedras, to the north of Lisbon and is to be transferred to its operator in the summer of next year. The large project is commencing with the construction of the foundations and the erection of the tower segments for the first two turbines, planned for December this year. The towers are to be produced by Martifer, the joint venture partner and large shareholder at RE-power Systems AG.