Nordex obtains order for major project in Sweden

Supply of 295 MW for projects by Skelleftea Kraft AB

Hamburg, 9 April 2010. Nordex has signed a frame work agreement with the municipally-owned utility Skelleftea Kraft AB, Skelleftea, to supply a total of 118 turbines in the N100/2500 series. The project concerned is “Blaiken”, which with 250 megawatts (MW) is to be the largest wind farm in Sweden, and the two forerunner projects “Jokkmokksliden” (25 MW) and “Storliden” (20 MW). The projects are located in the county of Västerbotten, in the North of Sweden, where wind speeds reach 7 metres per second with phases of permafrost. This is why Nordex will be supplying its turbines in the “Cold-Climate” version and using a new type of de-icing system for the rotor blades.

Nordex will install the first machines this year in order to be able to connect the two smaller projects to the grid in 2011. This is to be followed by the start of building for the large “Blaiken” project. Preparations are already underway for the 100 installations in order to ensure that the deadline is met. Because Skelleftea Kraft has set itself some ambitious targets. Together, the three projects now commissioned are to generate more than 700 GWh of “green” electricity a year.

“Skelleftea Kraft is a strong and important partner for our activities in Scandinavia. And this order also shows that we have adapted our product well to the climatic conditions in Sweden”, says Carsten Pedersen, COO Sales and Marketing at Nordex SE.  This is also demonstrated by reference projects that Nordex has installed through its subsidiary in Sweden. In the last two years alone, the Group has put wind farms with a volume of more than 120 MW on grid there.  

“We have chosen Nordex after a very thorough examination of the market for wind turbines. Besides that they are competitive in price and quality, they demonstrate good practice and attitude on the challenges ahead in the projects”, says Anders Järvelä, VP Electrical Generation and Sales at Skelleftea Kraft AB.

The Swedish government has substantially raised its targets for extending the use of wind energy with a view to meeting the climate protection targets set by the European Union. For instance, as early as 2015 wind farms are to feed in at least 10,000 GWh of electricity. Experts expect some 3,000 MW of new generating capacity to be built over the same period. Around 1,500 MW were in operation at the end of 2009.