Portugal - Wind energy Vestas signs agreements with Iberwind

Vestas has signed a service renewal contract for 75 units of the V90-3.0 MW turbine representing a total capacity of 225 MW for the following wind power plants in Portugal: Candeeiros I, Candeeiros II and Pampilhosa.

These wind power plants, constructed in 2005-2006 were three of the first larger wind projects installed in the world with the V90-3.0 MW turbine, a platform built on proven technology ensuring reliability and yield for high wind sites.

The wind farms are owned by Iberwind, the wind energy player with the largest installed wind capacity in Portugal, i.e. 680 MW, supplying approx 3 per cent of the total electricity consumed in the country.

The service renewal contract includes the Active Output Management package ‘AOM 4000’ for a 7-year period. The AOM 4000 is a full-scope service contract, consisting of scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and consumables, which offers solid risk management for customers, who want an availability guarantee measured against an agreed threshold. This type of contract offers customers assured performance avoiding unforeseen operational costs of any kind.

The main driver behind Iberwind’s choice was Vestas’ technical and technological capabilities within the V90-3.0 MW platform, its service track record and overall past service performance in providing customers with the highest business case certainty and return on investment of their wind power plants.

Vestas has delivered 296 MW of Iberwind’s total wind portfolio; only Candeeiros and Pampilhosa Wind Farms amounting to 225 MW represent more than 32 per cent of Iberwind’s total installed wind capacity.

“We are very pleased to maintain our long and well-established partnership with Vestas. We have a strong confidence in the capabilities of Vestas’ service organisation as well as in the performance of the V90-3.0 MW turbine, a highly technological and reliable product,” states Rui Maia, Operation and Service Manager of Iberwind.

The wind power plants have an annual production of approx 595,455 MWh saving the environment from almost 228,059 tons of CO2 and they are able to meet the electricity needs of close to 455,000 Portuguese households on an annual basis.

Vestas to take on the first repowering project in Portugal

Vestas has also received from Iberwind an order for the Lagoa Funda Wind Power Plant, the very first repowering project in Portugal. The contract comprises a full engineering procurement construction (EPC) contract for six units of the V90-2.0 MW turbine, a fifteen-year service agreement and a VestasOnline® Business SCADA system as well a Condition Monitoring System solution.