This week: USA - Minnesota Wind Farm To Feature Gamesa’s New Low-Wind Turbines

Gamesa will start the delivery of its first G97-2.0 MW in the United States in the Big Blue wind farm that Exergy Development Group promotes in the town of Blue Earth, in Minnesota.

Gamesa expects to begin the installation in September, of a total of 18 G97-2.0 MW, the newest turbine model designed specifically for low-wind sites. Gamesa’s G97-2.0 MW Class IIIA has nacelle enhancements and a newer, more aerodynamic blade design that optimizes energy output.

With this project, the company also incorporates a new customer, Exergy, to its portfolio.

Minnesota is among the top six states for installed wind power capacity in the U.S., but this is the first commercial wind farm to be built in Faribault County.

“This is a new collaboration that brings Gamesa’s innovative wind turbine technology into Exergy’s expanding renewable energy development portfolio, and it enables us to showcase a new turbine model that can increase the potential for wind development across the United States,” said David Rosenberg, Vice President of Marketing for Gamesa North America.

“The G97 is a very efficient turbine and perfect for this site. We are excited to be working with Gamesa and look forward to having the turbines installed and fulfilling our mission to provide wind energy to the Blue Earth community,” said Exergy’s Dustin Shively, Lead Project Engineer on the Big Blue Project.

The construction for the project -which will be operational before the end of the year with an installed capacity of 36 MW- will create approximately 60 jobs locally. Upon completion, the wind farm will be owned by Exergy’s subsidiary, Big Blue Wind Farm, LLC. Northern States Power will purchase the offtake, which is enough to power about 20,000 homes per year.