GE buys Scanwind, Nordex completes US project, Areva buys PN Rotor

Alpha Ventus starts producing electricity

Germany’s first offshore wind power park, Alpha Venture in the North Sea, has started the gradual commissioning of the first three of its total 12 turbines. The project is co-financed by EWE, E.ON and Vattenfall.  The turbines, with a nominal capacity of 5MW, are located 45 kilometres north of the island of Borkum.

It is anticipated that the wind farm’s 12 turbines will all be operational by the end of this year. Construction of wind turbines began in mid-April this year. Alpha Ventus has been connected to the German power grid at Hagermarsch by a 66 km-long cable operated by transpower, formerly E.ON Netz, since May.
 
GE Energy to acquire ScanWind for $18m

Sweden’s Morphic Technologies has agreed to sell ScanWind, a provider of offshore wind turbine technology, to GE Energy for $18 million. The transaction, subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to be completed in early September. This acquisition will give GE the ability to provide a direct drive, offshore wind turbine offering as an option to the industry.

Morphic has decided to go ahead with the sale in order to strengthen its core fuel cells business, as well as to reduce its base costs, corresponding to an annual saving of $8.1 million.
 
Nordex achieves a milestone

Nordex USA has completed its largest American wind project to date, the Highland Wind Project, for EverPower Wind, a New York-based developer of utility grade wind projects. The project, located near the town of Krayn in Southwestern Pennsylvania, connects 25 of N90 2.5 MW high-speed wind turbines to the grid in the state.
 
Areva buys PN Rotor

French group Areva has signed an agreement to acquire PN Rotor, a German manufacturer of high performance rotor blades for offshore wind turbines, from Prokon Nord Energiesysteme. The acquisition is expected to close in the next few months. For Areva, the acquisition follows its memorandum of understanding worth more than €700 million to supply 80 M5000 offshore wind turbines for the 400 MW German Global Tech I wind farm in the North Sea.
 
New energy centre in Aberdeen gets £2.6m boost

Aberdeen’s new Scottish European Green Energy Centre (SEGEC) has received £1.6 million investment from the European Regional Development Fund. The Scottish Government is also providing more than £1 million in funding over the next three years.

The facility, based at the University of Aberdeen, has been set up to help co-ordinate the development and deployment of technologies such as offshore wind and tidal power. It will focus on developing partnerships with businesses and institutions, designing collaborative projects and identifying and accessing European funding. Head of ITI Energy, Duncan Botting, was recently named the Executive Chair of the Centre.
 
AMSC bags order for 17 wind-turbine systems

American Superconductor (AMSC) has received an initial order for 17 sets of full wind turbine electrical systems from Ulsan, South Korea-based Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI). American Superconductor will ship the electrical systems by the end of January 2010. HHI, which builds ships, turnkey power plants and high-voltage electrical equipment, will use the systems in 1.65 MW wind turbines. It will produce the turbines under a license from AMSC’s subsidiary, AMSC Windtec.
 
Two Chinese firms form JVs

A-Power Energy Generation Systems, a manufacturer of wind turbines, has entered into definitive agreements to form two JVs with Jiangsu Miracle Logistics System Engineering. The first JV, called Shenyang Tianxiang Wind Equipments Manufacturing, will manufacture rotor blades, hubs, nacelle covers, and other components for wind turbines. A-Power will invest $1.5 million in cash for 51% of the JV, and the rest, $1.4 million, will be provided by Jiangsu Miracle. Shenyang Tianxiang’s plant will be located in Shenyang City. The second JV will focus on marketing and sales of the wind components made by Shenyang Tianxiang. A-Power will invest $359,000 in cash for 49% of the JV, and the rest, $373,000, will be provided by Jiangsu Miracle.