USA - Minnesota Power’s Bison 1 Wind Energy Center completed in North Dakota

Commissioning of the last Bison 1B turbine was completed Jan. 31 by personnel from Minnesota Power, a division of ALLETE, Inc., and its primary contractor and turbine supplier, Siemens.

Bison 1A, the first phase of the 82-megawatt (MW) installation, was completed about a year ago and has been producing renewable energy since then.

Midway through construction of Bison 1A, which consists of 16 turbines rated at 2.3MW, Minnesota Power decided to deploy upgraded 3MW Siemens turbines featuring direct drive power units. Bison 1B will deliver more wind energy for approximately the same cost as Bison 1A.

Work is well underway on Minnesota Power’s Bison 2 and Bison 3 wind farms, located adjacent to the Bison 1 installation in Oliver and Morton Counties. Bison 2 and 3 will each consist of 35 of the Siemens 3-MW direct-drive wind turbines, and together they’ll supply an additional 210 MW of renewable energy.

Work on Bison 2 & 3 continues with favorable fall and winter weather allowing solid progress on roads, foundations and balance of plant systems in support of a planned end of 2012 completion. In approving Minnesota Power’s long-term resource plan last May, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ordered the company to strongly consider adding more wind to its renewable portfolio before the expiration of federal production tax credits on December 31, 2012.

About Minnesota Power:
Minnesota Power, a division of ALLETE, Inc., supplies electric service to 144,000 residents, 16 municipalities and some of the largest industrial customers in the United States.

About Siemens Windpower:
Answers for energy – Engineering the Wind. As the demand for clean power generation to meet the world’s growing energy need increases, Siemens Wind Power has the answers. Siemens is a leading supplier of wind power solutions with over 30 years experience in the wind energy business. With highly efficient, robust and reliable wind turbines, Siemens has a demonstrated history in delivering innovative solutions to onshore and offshore sites. Hamburg is headquarters of Siemens’ global wind power business since October 1st, 2011.

Siemens Wind Power’s service team is dedicated to keeping the turbines running optimally throughout their entire lifecycle. The EMEA headquarters (Europe, Middle East and Africa) of Wind Power Service are located in Bremen. A comprehensive and flexible service concept guarantees optimal operational reliability and technical availability to our customers. Experienced teams support projects not only in the areas of inspection, maintenance and repair, but also contribute to the improvement of output and performance.

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