The company reveals that it had forecast this downturn in sales due to the financial crisis. Whatever the case, the orders received by Nordex in May amount to €94 million. The manufacturer also says that it has signed long-term master agreements amounting to a further 300 MW and has an order book valued at €2.3 billion, which equates to the first improvement in orders since 2008.
First Maryland wind farm
The orders received in May include an order for 20 N90 2.5-megawatt wind turbines to be installed at the 50-megawatt Roth Rock wind farm in Garrett County, Maryland (US). The contract with developer and future operator, Synergics, includes installation and a five-year maintenance agreement.
Nordex will begin delivering and installing turbines in August, with completion and commissioning of the project slated for December 2010. The “Roth Rock” wind farm will generate about 124,000 megawatt hours of electricity per year, which is enough to power nearly 11,300 homes at rates that are cost-competitive with existing fuel sources.
“The Roth Rock project proves that wind can sustainably and affordably power our homes and businesses while benefiting local communities,” said Ralf Sigrist, President and CEO of Nordex USA. “Nordex’s advanced turbine technology has made wind power a competitive alternative to environmentally costly and finite fossil fuels, and we are proud to be the first to help bring that advantage to Maryland.”
Purchasers of the wind power will include Delmarva Power, the University of Maryland and other entities of the State of Maryland.
Roth Rock continues the trend in the US market toward large-scale 2.5 megawatt wind turbines, which carry higher efficiencies and yields than traditional smaller models. Nordex built the industry’s first 2.5 megawatt turbine in 2000 and, with over 1,000 installed worldwide, holds the longest track record for reliability in the class. The company’s manufacturing plant in Jonesboro, Arkansas will produce N90 and N100 models beginning this fall, positioning Nordex to be a key player in the growing US market.
20 MW to Northern Ireland
On the other side of the Atlantic, Nordex Nordex has entered into its first joint project with UK developer DW Consultancy Ltd.: DW Consultancy has ordered eight Nordex N80/2500 turbines for their Northern Irish wind farm known as Screggagh. Nordex will be supplying the wind turbines from its European production facility in Rostock in September.
The Screggagh wind farm marks the first project for DW Consultancy to go to construction in Northern Ireland. DW Consultancy are active wind farm developers in Northern Ireland, with four wind farm projects (totalling 50 MW) currently permitted full planning permission, and a further eight projects (totalling more than 100 MW) within the planning system. These additional projects present the prospect of possible follow-up contracts for Nordex, one of the top suppliers of turbines in the UK market. The average wind speed at the Screggagh site is 8.5 m/s and thanks to the N80/2500 strong-wind turbine, Screggagh will be able to supply around 10,500 households a year with clean electricity.
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