Enbridge has inked a USD $200 million deal with Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. (RES Americas) for construction of the 110 MW Keechi Wind Project in Texas.
Construction has already commenced at the site in Jack County, with the facility expected to be completed in the first quarter of next year.
The Keechi Wind project consists of 55 Vestas V100-2.0 MW turbines and will be connected to Brazos Electric’s Joplin substation via an 18 kilometre generation tie-line.
RES Americas states the facility is the 19th the company has constructed in the state and Keechi Wind will bring the total green power capacity that Enbridge has interests in to more than 1,800 MW.
In November last year, Microsoft announced a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to buy all of the energy produced by the Keechi Wind Farm project.
Vestas will provide turbine operations and maintenance services for the first five years of the project after commercial operation date.
Texas is rapidly shaking its oil-soaked image – the state has more wind capacity than any other in the USA. More than 12.2 gigawatts of wind capacity now provides over 9 percent of all electricity generated in the state. Wind energy is also reducing electricity prices for Texas consumers.
In related news, Vestas has announced it has secured two orders in India to provide a total of 51.8 MW of turbines for two wind farms in Gujarat being built by power company Powerica. The 21.8 MW Jangi wind farm will be operational in July this year and the 30 MW Charbara project is expected to be completed in March 2015.
The company has also won a turbine supply and services contract from German wind power plant developer Juwi Wind totalling 36 MW. The turbines will be using three projects in Gollheim, Niederhausen an der Appel and Alsenz.
