USA - Vestas receives order for 22 units of its V80-2.0 MW wind turbine

Vestas has received an order for 22 units of the V80-2.0 MW wind turbine in the USA. The turbines will be delivered to Puget Sound Energy’s Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility in Ellensburg, Kittitas County in the state of Washington, as part of a proposed expansion to the facility.

The Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility is owned by Puget Sound Energy, Washington state’s largest energy utility and a Northwest leader in renewable energy. Wild Horse entered commercial operation in December 2006 with 127 Vestas turbines and a capacity of 229 MW, with the additional turbines now ordered as part of a planned expansion to the wind energy facility. As such, the 22 units of the V80-2.0 MW wind turbine will add an additional 44 MW to the existing 229 MW installed at Wild Horse.

“It is a great pleasure for Vestas to once again partner with Puget Sound Energy and further develop our long-standing working relationship. The V80-2.0 MW turbine has an outstanding track record with thousands of machines in operation across the world. The 22 turbines to be installed at the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility will further demonstrate the reliable track record this turbine holds,” says Jens Søby, President of Vestas Americas A/S. “At the same time, we are delighted to be part of the efforts to further increase the use of wind power in the Pacific Northwest, generating clean energy, local jobs and economic activity.”

In addition to supplying turbines to Wild Horse, Vestas is also the turbine supplier for Puget Sound Energy’s Hopkins Ridge Wind Facility located in Dayton, Columbia County, Washington. Hopkins Ridge entered service in November 2006 with 83 turbines, expanding to 87 turbines this year.

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) recently announced that 1,389 MW of new wind capacity was installed in the USA in the third quarter of 2008, bringing the total capacity completed so far this year to 4,204 MW. According to AWEA, the industry is on track to surpass the 5,249 MW that were installed in 2007, a record year for the American wind industry. With over 1,300 MW of wind generating capacity installed, Washington is one of the leading wind states in the USA.

With delivery scheduled to begin in the second half of 2009, the order includes the supply and commissioning of the wind turbines and a five-year service and maintenance agreement. Vestas expects to complete the commissioning of the 22 turbines in the second half of 2009.

Contact details:
Jens Søby, President, Vestas Americas A/S
Telephone +1 503 327 2000