GE (NYSE: GE) will supply 31 of its 1.6-100 wind turbines for Fina Enerji’s Tayakadin wind project in Istanbul, Turkey, which will supply enough clean, wind-generated electricity to meet the needs of more than 14,000 Turkish households. GE announced this order at the European Wind Energy Association’s EWEA 2012 in Copenhagen. The project will mark the first European installation of the GE 1.6-100 machine, which offers the highest efficiency of any wind turbine in its class.
“Featuring a 100-meter rotor diameter and 80-meter hub height, the 1.6-100 provides the highest capacity factor of any wind turbine for class 3 sites.”
The 50-megawatt Tayakadin project supports the Turkish government’s plans to increase the country’s wind energy production to 20,000 megawatts by the year 2023. Turkey has one of the most favorable locations in Europe for wind energy development, with a potential wind generation capacity of about 48,000 megawatts. Much of that potential remains untapped, as the country’s existing wind farms produce about 1,800 megawatts.
“GE’s 1.6-100 technology builds on the broad experience of our 1.5 and 2.5 megawatt series, with more than 17,500 of those units installed today,” said Stephan Ritter, general manager of GE’s Renewable Energy business in Europe. “Featuring a 100-meter rotor diameter and 80-meter hub height, the 1.6-100 provides the highest capacity factor of any wind turbine for class 3 sites.”
Fina Enerji currently has 35 units of GE 2.5-100 wind turbines in operation at two wind power plant sites in Izmir and Hatay provinces for a total capacity of 87.5 megawatts. Tayakadin, near the booming city of Istanbul, is the third site where Fina Enerji will employ GE wind turbines.
A globally proven technology, GE anticipates installing more than 1,200 of these units in the United States within the next two years.
In addition to the wind turbines, GE will supply commissioning and technical advisory services for the Tayakadin project. Fina will do the installation and civil works of the project. The wind turbines will be shipped from GE’s Salzbergen, Germany facility by the end of 2012, with completion of the project expected by the first quarter of 2013.