Turbine supplier chosen for 21 MW Kuzumaki wind plant

Japanese developer Dengen Kaihatsu Co, or Electric Power Development Co, has selected Vestas to supply 12, 1.75 MW turbines for its proposed 21 MW wind plant in Kuzumaki in the northern Iwate-prefecture. Construction began last month on the ´4.7 billion plant. It is expected to start operation in December 2003. The electricity will be sold to local utility company Tohoku Electric Power Co on a 17 year contract. It is EPDC's third wind farm and gives the company a combined wind power generation capacity of 76.35 MW. Japan's Ministry of finance owns two-thirds of the shares in EPDC, with the rest owned by nine power companies. EPDC plans to list its shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in March 2004.