REpower Systems AG (RPW.DE) and the Belgian offshore project development company C-Power have signed a contract for 48 of the company’s 6M wind turbines.
Existing REpower clients RWE Innogy and EDF EN (EEN.PA) both have a share in C-Power as strategic partners. The turbines have a total rated power of approximately 295 megawatts (MW) and are envisaged for phases 2 and 3 of the first Belgian offshore wind farm, Thornton Bank.
Companies from Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Denmark are involved in Thornton Bank, thus making it a landmark project for the European offshore wind industry. The installation of 24 turbines for phase 2 is planned for the spring of 2012, and a further 24 are designated for installation during a third extension stage by mid-2013. So far, the closing of this contract–as measured by the investment volume–represents the biggest ever project financing in the offshore wind industry, REpower said in a release.
A bank consortium of seven commercial banks, together with the European Investment Bank are providing approximately EUR 900 million in financing. The total investment–including the refinancing of the first phase project–amounts up to approximately EUR 1.3 billion.
In 2008, REpower delivered and installed six turbines of the REpower 5M type for the first extension stage of Thornton Bank. The offshore wind farm, located around 28 kilometers off the Belgian coast in waters between twelve and 27 meters deep, was officially put into operation at the end of June 2009. In the first half-year of operation, it achieved a technical availability rate of 94%; in the second, this increased to 97%.
For phases 2 and 3, REpower’s scope of delivery covers–as in the first extension stage–the production and delivery of the nacelles, towers, blades and hubs as well as pre-installation in the port of Oostende. Furthermore, REpower is responsible for the installation, the commissioning and the test run of the turbines.
Earlier this week, ABB was awarded a $125 million contract for connecting the turbines to the land-based power grid.
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