Nordex Takes New Order for Wind Turbines

Dec. 26, 2011
Twelve 2,500-MW units to be installed at new WKN wind farm in Texas

Wind turbine builder Nordex USA Inc. reports it has a new order from WKN USA LLC for 12 Nordex N100/2500 wind turbines, to be installed at the Mozart Wind Farm near Abilene, Tex. Installation will begin in August 2012, and Nordex also will be responsible for installation and commissioning as well.

The value of the contract was not announced. Plans call for the Mozart Wind Farm to begin supplying energy on a commercial basis in December 2012, and Nordex is engaged for a two-year extended service contract.

“We are very pleased to begin working with Nordex in the U.S.,” stated Florian Zerhusen, founder and CEO of WKN USA. “We see this order as a first step in extending the success of both of our companies in the American market.”

The Mozart Wind Farm is a 30-MW project for WKN USA LLC, one of four it has in development. It already operates one 63-MW wind farm in Texas. WKN USA is a developer recently acquired by BayWa AG, which is a holding company active in agriculture, building materials, and energy segment.

The 30 will have Nordex N100/2500 wind turbines installed on 80-meter towers. Nacelles for the turbines will be built at Nordex USA’s $40-million manufacturing plant in Jonesboro, Ark., which began production in late 2010. It produces nacelles for Nordex’ N90 and N100 turbines, and Nordex has previously indicated it will assemble rotor blades at that site, with a total capital investment projected at $100 million.

The N100/2500 is a 2.5-MW, IEC-2- and IEC-3-certified wind turbine for moderate and low wind conditions. It is among the largest turbines Nordex builds, and the manufacturer indicated it is well suited to the Mozart site’s IEC Class IIa wind regime.

Nordex noted that it will have 447.5 MW of generating capacity installed in the U.S. by the end of this year, with its 2.5-MW turbines operating for wind farms in seven states.