Germany - Nordex supplies 15 turbines for wind farm in Italy

Nordex is installing another wind farm in Italy: key-account customer Falck Renewables has ordered 15 wind power systems, type N80/2500, with a total effective output of 37.5 MW for the “San Sostene” project in the region of Calabria. These are being supplied under a master agreement signed by Nordex and Falck in 2008, in which up to 250 MW can be called in by 2011. Nordex will be delivering and erecting the 15 turbines for “San Sostene” as of July 2009. The wind turbine manufacturer signed the contract with Eolica Sud Srl, a subsidiary of Falck. It also covers Premium service for a period of at least nine years.

The “San Sostene” wind farm is located near the village of the same name in the Calabrian province of Catanzaro. The 15 Nordex turbines are an extension of the first construction phase, which is already in the process of installation. The wind farm is due to be completed at the beginning of next year. The turbines will be erected in a mountainous region at elevations of between 950 and 1,200 metres – an attractive location with superior wind speeds. Here the 15 N80/2500 strong-wind turbines are able to generate an annual energy yield of approximately 80 gigawatt hours, sufficient to provide 20,000 households with electricity and simultaneously avoiding green house gas emissions of approximately 80,000 tons.

The order for “San Sostene” contributes to the satisfactory trend in new orders with which Nordex closes the first quarter of this year. In this period the wind turbine manufacturer obtained orders with guaranteed funding worth a total of around EUR 234 million. At EUR 193 million, particularly the month of March saw orders rise to a high level. To compare: the figure in the fourth quarter of 2008 was EUR 80 million. Order receipts were thus up considerably on the previous quarters. "Demand from our customers continues to be strong. However, it is above all gratifying to note that they are increasingly able to finance their projects via lending banks,” says Nordex CEO Thomas Richterich.

About Nordex:
As a technological leader among suppliers of megawatt turbines, Nordex benefits particularly from the global trend towards large-scale wind turbines. The product range includes one of the largest series wind power systems in the world (N80/N90/N100, 2,500 kW) with more 1,000 of these turbines having been produced to date. This means that Nordex has a crucial edge in terms of experience in operating large turbines compared to most of its competitors in the sector. Overall, Nordex has installed a more than 3,700 turbines with a capacity in excess of 4,800 MW around the world. With exports accounting for over 95 percent of its business, Nordex AG plays a key role in international high-growth regions. The company has offices and subsidiaries in 18 countries around the world. In total, the Group employs about 2,200 people worldwide.

About Falck Renewables:
Falck Renewables develops and operates wind farms in the four core markets of the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy. In addition to this, the London-based company plans to establish itself with wind farm projects in the new markets of the future. Since its foundation in 2002, Falck has already put around 400 MW on grid.