Gamesa enters Asia-Pacific wind market

The wind farm is set to go operational this year.

Spain's Gamesa, a global player in the design, manufacture and maintenance of wind turbines and wind farm developer is to supply nine Gamesa G52-850 KW wind turbines for a total installed capacity of 7.65 MW, to Pioneer Generation for the Mount Stuart wind farm in New Zealand. The wind farm is located 15 km east of Milton, in Otago, at the south-east end of the New Zealand's South Island.

The contract includes manufacturing and shipping the generators and supervising installation and commissioning. The wind farm is scheduled to become operational in 2011.

The 7.65 MW windfarm would be producing electricity to be fed into the grid through the Otagonet network by December 2011 - enough to meet the annual energy needs of about 3,350 homes.

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Establishing local subsidiary and technology centre

This contract, Gamesa's first with Pioneer Generation Limited, is also its first in the Asia-Pacific wind power market and reflects the company's strategy of tapping new markets and new customer categories.

“Gamesa's strategy in the Asia-Pacific region includes establishing a firm presence in the medium-long term”, said Ramón Terrones, Regional director – Asia Pacific & Oceania. The company has placed bids to supply to wind farm developers in New Zealand.

This year, Gamesa plans to establish a subsidiary in the Asia-Pacific region with head office in Singapore to offer project services as well as wind turbine operation and maintenance in the region.

The company also envisages establishing a technology centre in Singapore.

New Zealand has an ambitious renewable energy plan under which 90% of power generation should be from renewable sources by 2025.