Turnkey contracts awarded to India's Suzlon for 200 MW

Indian turbine manufacturer Suzlon has secured two turnkey contracts to supply and install a combined total of just over 200 MW in Australia. Both deals are for the company's S88 2.1 MW machines. The biggest contract, for 63 turbines destined for the 132 MW Capital Wind Farm at Tarago in New South Wales, is with Sydney's Renewable Power Ventures, a joint venture comprising Babcock & Brown, National Power Company of the US and Carbon Solutions. Scheduled for completion in the first half of 2009, the A$220 million (EUR 129.4 million) project got the green light at the end of last year. The other contract, for 34 turbines, is a repeat order from utility AGL Energy. The units, again due for commissioning in 2009, are for AGL's A$166 million (EUR 97.66 million) Hallet Hill wind farm in South Australia, a project it bought from Wind Prospect earlier this year. Suzlon is already constructing the utility's 95 MW Brown Hill wind farm about 20 kilometres from Hallet Hill, says AGL's Michael Fraser. The projects, together with Wattle Point, will bring AGL wind capacity to 257 MW. Dan Kofoed Hansen of Suzlon's Australian division says the company hopes to "assume an even larger role on Australia's wind energy stage."