Turbine tenders and contracts liven up Portugal's plodding market

A series of turbine tenders and contracts have livened up Portugal's plodding wind market. The country's largest wind operator, Enersis, confirms it has shortlisted three suppliers for its 8-10 MW Meirocinha project in the north: Vestas has bid with its 1.75 MW turbine and 1.3 MW turbines have been offered by both Nordex and Bonus' Spanish affiliate, Izar-Bonus. Enersis had hoped to put up 90 MW at the site but grid limitations slashed the project to its current size. Enersis expects to make another call before the end of the year for a 10 MW extension to its Lomba de Seixa plant, also in the north, where ten Nordex 1.3 MW machines are already turning. Enersis' Carlos Monteiro says the call will be for machines rated at 2 MW or above. Further calls for a combined 40 MW have come from SIIF the renewables arm of French utility Electricité de France, says Alvaro Rodrigues of Porto University's technology institute. SIIF is looking for turbines for 10 MW projects in the central north Candal and Coelheira and for a 20 MW site at Serra de Cabreira. Rodrigues also confirms Enernova is receiving bids from turbine suppliers for its Alto do Talefe and Fonte da Quelha projects, each at 13 MW. Enernova is the renewables wing of Portugal's sole utility, Electricidade de Portugal (EDP), and has also recently signed for six Vestas 2 MW machines for its Barroso wind plant, close to Lomba de Seixa.