GE’s (NYSE: GE) advanced 2.5-100 wind turbine technologyis now powering Suncor Energy’s Kent Breeze Wind Project, a 20-megawatt wind farm located west of Thamesville, Ontario. The project is the first wind power facility to receive a Renewable Energy Approval (REA) under the province’s Green Energy Act.
The Kent Breeze project marks Suncor’s first use of GE’s 2.5-100 wind turbines. The 2.5-100 is designed to maximize the energy yield per machine. Proven in applications in Europe and Asia, GE’s multi-megawatt turbine was introduced for the North American market last year. The Kent Breeze project also is under a two-year operations and maintenance contract with GE.
Kent Breeze precedes Suncor’s Wintering Hills project in Alberta, Canada, which also will use GE wind turbine technology. Suncor is part owner of two other projects in Alberta that feature GE equipment, ChinChute and Magrath. Beyond the wind business, GE has partnered with Suncor on multiple power generation and water equipment for projects in western Canada’s oil sands.
“We have worked closely with Suncor to meet all of the requirements for the Kent Breeze project,” said Simon Olivier, general manager of sales for GE’s renewable energy business in Canada. “Kent Breeze provided an opportunity for us to install our first 2.5 machines in Canada and apply our technology and experience to help developers like Suncor harness Canada’s great wind potential and move the country closer to its cleaner energy goals.”
GE’s wind turbines are part of ecomagination, the company’s commitment to imagine and build innovative solutions to today’s environmental challenges while driving economic growth.
Ontario’s commitment to a greener energy supply has motivated the province to aggressively add new sources of renewable energy. Since 2003, Ontario has increased its online wind capacity from 15 megawatts to more than 1,200 megawatts and now ranks as Canada’s top province in wind power. With this increased use of renewable energy, Ontario has set a goal to phase out all of its coal-fired power generation by 2014.