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Siemens energy recently secured an order for its single largest U.S. wind turbine project. Puget Sound Energy, Washington State’s oldest local energy utility, has ordered 149 wind turbines rated at 2.3 megawatts (mw) each for the Lower Snake River Wind Project in Washington state’s Garfield County. With an installed capacity of 343 mw, the wind power facility is expected to provide clean power for more than 100,000 homes in the state of Washington. PSE has an option to purchase an additional 110 swt-2.3-101 for later phases of the project.
“This order is an important stepping stone towards becoming one of the top two wind turbine supplier in the U.S.,” said René Umlauft, CEO of the Renewable Energy Division of Siemens Energy. “We look forward to working with PSE to further advance its renewable energy initiative in the United States.”
Siemens’ contract with PSE for Lower Snake River includes the supply, installation and commissioning of the 149 wind turbines of type SWT-2.3-101, as well as a five-year service agreement. Since its introduction in April 2009, the wind turbine with an output of 2.3 MW has quickly become the best-selling wind turbine in the U.S. The 101-meter rotor is designed to optimize the energy returns in areas with moderate wind conditions.
To meet the increasing demand for clean energy in the Americas, Siemens is constructing its Nacelle wind turbine assembly facility in Hutchinson, Kansas, scheduled to become operational in December 2010. This facility is expected to employ approximately 400 ‘green-collar’ employees. Siemens also recently expanded its blade manufacturing facilities in Fort Madison, Iowa, which currently employs more than 600 people.
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