Vestas has received an order from PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, for 47 V110-2.0 MW turbines in 2.2-MW Power Optimized Mode. PacifiCorp aims to repower 47 Senvion MM92 2-MW turbines at the Goodnoe Hills wind project in Washington, U.S., increasing the project’s nameplate capacity from its original 94 to 103 MW. The project was initially commissioned in 2008.
Repowering offers solutions for asset owners facing higher operation and maintenance costs of an aging fleet and mitigates the complexities of sourcing spare parts for obsolete technology.
Repowering existing and aging wind projects with new wind-turbine technology offers substantial returns from increased annual energy production and reduced operating costs. Through repowering, owners and operators benefit by replacing old equipment with advanced technology, while significantly lowering operating costs.
“These repowering upgrades will cost-effectively boost the output of existing turbines and extend the life of our wind projects, while expanding the amount of renewable energy serving our customers” said Stefan Bird, president and CEO of Pacific Power, the division of PacifiCorp that serves customers in Oregon, Washington and California.
Bird added: “We appreciate our continued partnership with Vestas as we remain focused on meeting our customers’ sustainable energy goals.
This order follows PacifiCorp’s 234-MW order with Vestas to repower the Marengo I and II projects, also located in Washington.
With an average fleet age projected to rise to seven years in 2020, and 14 years in 2030, the aging North American wind fleet creates a large market for repowering.
“As wind technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, Vestas is able to use our technology expertise, operational insights, and unparalleled global supply chain to deliver repowering benefits for customers across a variety of turbine types,” said Chris Brown, President of Vestas’ sales and service and division in the United States and Canada. “Updating existing projects with Vestas technology unlocks even more value and performance for our customers from their existing assets and extends the lifetime benefits of these projects.”
PacifiCorp is a leading utility in the renewable energy space, with a portfolio of over 1,000 MW of wind projects across Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. The order includes supply and commissioning of the turbines as well as a long-term service agreement, designed to ensure optimized performance of the project. Turbine delivery will begin in the first quarter of 2019.
With the largest global installed capacity and service base, Vestas is uniquely positioned to harness operational and technical insights gained from the largest wind data repository in the world, to develop repowering solutions for Vestas and non-Vestas wind turbines alike. With the Goodnoe Hills order, Vestas showcases its ability to apply technical insights and capabilities to develop and certify multi-brand repowering solutions.
Filed Under: News, Projects, Repowering
