Spain - Gamesa installs its GPA maintenance upgrade in its wind power farms

In recent weeks Gamesa has begun to market its new maintenance product, Gamesa Premium Availability, or GPA. The first units are to be installed in nine wind energy farms from French, Danish and Spanish clients in France and Spain with aggregate capacity of 192 MW at which the company holds the O&M contracts.

The new GPA is the result of two years' work analysing and studying how to increase the availability of the company's 2 MW turbines with a view to making the G8X-2.0 MW fleet and the new G9X-2.0 MW platform more competitive by introducing design enhancements - boosting reliability - and by improving service processes - making operations more productive.

The GPA is already delivering: it lowers wind farm OPEX by up to 10% and aims at making the turbines available 99% of the time. The new GPA is being built into all new Gamesa wind turbines and into the existing fleet through specific upgrade packages. Gamesa expects to have the GPA definitively certified by GH & DNV this autumn.

14,000 MW under O&M agreements for more than 130 customers worldwide

Gamesa's end-to-end proposition in the wind power industry is rounded out by its operations and maintenance (O&M) services which are carried out by over 2,500 professionals. This international team maintains aggregate wind power capacity of 14,000 MW for its more than 130 customers.

Gamesa has a proprietary service structure, which it complements with the operative support of a network of specialised O&M providers enabling the company to offer these services in wind power markets anywhere in the world. The team also offers end-to-end O&M solutions for wind turbines made by other manufacturers as well as tailored financing schemes, all with a view to adding value for Gamesa's customers.

Gamesa is working on initiatives to maximise energy output, boost availability and cut operating and maintenance (O&M) expenses with a view to lowering energy costs by 20% by 2013 and by 30% over the next five years.

The company's strategy is to increase its penetration of this market which generates value for the core business and generates a recurring revenue stream. Specifically, the goal is to double business volumes over the next three years, bringing 24,000 MW of operations under O&M agreements.

Gamesa also said it has maintained a solid growth of 29% over the first half of 2011 due to internationalisation and efficiency.

Sales of wind turbines outside Spain expanded by 29% to 1292MW. The backlog for delivery in 2011 amounted to 2270MW in June, covering 77% of the wind turbine sales guidance for the year (2,800-3,100 MW).

Wind farm development is a vital division for Gamesa, as it provides the company with competitive advantages and complements its wind turbine manufacturing activity, it said. It is currently developing around 100 MW of wind farms in areas in the US.

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