The wind farm will be constructed approximately 100 miles west of the city of Hutchinson and installation of the turbines is scheduled to begin in early summer 2016. The wind farm should start operating in early 2017.
Siemens will include its advanced remote monitoring and diagnostics as part of its service and maintenance package. The turbine blades will be manufactured at the Siemens blade facility in Fort Madison, Iowa, and the nacelles assembled at its facility in Hutchinson.
“Wind power is becoming an increasingly important part of the US energy mix” said Thomas Richterich, CEO Onshore of the Siemens Wind Power and Renewables Division. “We are looking forward to working with Westar Energy on this large and important project. Continued technological innovation to drive down cost along with recent congressional action providing long-term certainty for renewable energy sets the stage for continued wind power growth in America.”
Kansas currently plays a leading role in the generation of American wind power, with enough wind generated electricity to power nearly one million homes. Siemens have installed over 5,000 turbines in the US to date, representing enough power for 2.5 million households. The Western Plains project will generate enough energy for 100,000 homes and will feature the Siemens SWT-2.3-108 turbine which has a power rating of 2.3 MW and 53 metre blades.
For additional information:
