GE Vernova has bagged an order from Pattern Energy to supply 674 turbines for the 3.5GW onshore SunZia Wind project in New Mexico, US.
Each of the turbines to be supplied by GE Vernova under the new equipment and long-term services deal will have a capacity of 3.6MW and a rotor diameter of 154m. The 3.6-154 wind turbines to be delivered to Pattern Energy will have a combined capacity of over 2.4GW, said GE Vernova.
SunZia Wind is anticipated to be the largest wind facility in the Western Hemisphere. Upon completion, the project will increase the installed base of GE Vernova with Pattern Energy in North America to around 4.3GW.
Representing an investment of over $5bn, the SunZia Wind project will meet the power requirements of over three million Americans. It will create over 1,000 roles at peak construction and more than 100 full-time jobs for its operations and maintenance.
GE chief technology officer and GE Vernova wind business CEO Vic Abate said: “This project demonstrates GE Vernova’s ability to deliver on our workhorse strategy in Onshore Wind – producing fewer variants in large quantities at scale to drive quality and reliability across the fleet for our customers.
“We are proud to partner with our customer, Pattern Energy, on this historic project that will deliver the critical renewable energy required to meet the growing demand for power in the Western U.S.”
GE Vernova said that the project will be delivered through its nacelle plant in Pensacola, Florida along with tower manufacturing facilities across Belen in New Mexico, Pueblo in Colorado, and Amarillo in Texas.
Pattern Energy CEO Hunter Armistead said: “From the beginning this was a truly collaborative approach with GE to design an optimal site that maximises turbine performance and optimises fleet consistency.
“Nacelles and towers for the GE turbine are being domestically produced right here in the United States, helping SunZia create thousands of new jobs in manufacturing and construction.”
The SunZia Wind project will span across the Torrance, Lincoln, and San Miguel Counties in New Mexico. The power generated by it will be evacuated through the 885km long SunZia Transmission line which is being built between central New Mexico and south-central Arizona.
