Capacity to reach 100 MW by year end

Portugal's total installed wind capacity is expected to top the 100 MW mark by the new year following the commissioning of 10.2 MW at Cadafaz using 600 kW Enercon turbines and three further projects using Danish Vestas turbines. Maderia utility Electricidade de Madeira expects to begin erecting six 660 kW V47 turbines next month, one unit on the Porto Santo island and the other five on Medeira island. Meantime, Enersis, Portugal's largest private developer (story page 33), has ordered two 1.65 MW V66 turbines to build next to its 10 MW Vila Lobos plant of Enercon turbines (Windpower Monthly, May 1998). Vestas Portugal's Jose Costa Simoes is also confident to clinch a contract for a further 15, V47 turbines with a developer he declines to name. Simoes says that due to a Portuguese bank merger the development's project finance has been delayed. But given the fact that the customer has already paid for a PTE 150 million grid connection, "There is no doubt that the development will go ahead."