First Wind, an independent U.S.-based wind energy company, announced that its subsidiary, Kawailoa Wind LLC, has finalized an agreement with Siemens to purchase 30 SWT-2.3-101 wind turbines for the company’s proposed 69 MW Kawailoa Wind project, representing the company’s first purchase from Siemens. The 2.3 MW state-of-the-art wind turbines were selected as the right technology and equipment that best match the characteristics of the proposed project site on Oahu’s North Shore.
“This purchase agreement with Siemens further diversifies our portfolio of wind turbines, and it enables us to deploy equipment that is both the best technological and economic fit for the project site,” said Paul Gaynor, CEO of First Wind. “The Siemens turbines are some of the best-in-class in the wind energy industry and we’re looking forward to having them as part of our portfolio.
“The proposed Kawailoa Wind project will join our Maui-based Kaheawa Wind Power and Oahu-based Kahuku Wind project, and will further assist Hawaii in meeting its clean energy goals,” Gaynor added. “As is the case with all of our projects developed in Hawaii, we always strive to find the most technologically advanced solutions to ensure that our projects perform at the highest level while helping to preserve Hawaii’s ecosystem.”
The proposed 69 MW Kawailoa Wind project will be located on the Kawailoa Plantation lands above Haleiwa on the North Shore of Oahu. The project is designed to provide a source of clean, renewable energy to approximately 14,500 Oahu homes. The project is scheduled to begin construction in late 2011.
With more than 3,500 units installed, the Siemens SWT 2.3 wind turbines are the workhorses of the Siemens wind power portfolio. The turbines, which have a strong track record, also meet the technical requirements of the Hawaiian Electric Corporation (HECO).
The Kawailoa project will provide economic benefits in the form of a clean, local energy source that does not depend on imported fuel and a stable energy price that hedges against the volatility of fossil fuel prices. It would also provide environmental benefits in the form of reduced emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants produced by typical fossil-fuel generation. As with all of First Wind’s Hawaii projects, Kawailoa Wind will feature a comprehensive Habitat Conservation Plan to provide a “net benefit” to the native species that may be impacted by the project.
First Wind has developed and currently operates wind energy projects in the Northeast, the West and in Hawaii, with a total installed capacity of 695 megawatts (MW) and another 181 MW in construction. Today’s announcement represents the first Siemens turbines to be incorporated into First Wind’s fleet of turbines.