DANISH COLO PLANT MAKES TURBINES FOR WISC

Wisconsin wind-farm project means work for Vestas' Colorado plants
Cathy Proctor, March 25, 2010 (Denver Business Journal)

"Vestas Wind Systems’ Colorado wind-turbine manufacturing plants will…[fill] an order for 81 turbines for a Wisconsin wind farm, the Danish company’s spokesman said…The plants will make giant blades and steel towers and assemble nacelle housing for the project…

"Vestas said it had received an order from We Energies for 81 wind turbines, model V90-1.8 MW, for the Glacier Hills Wind Park…The turbines will be delivered in early 2011, with commissioning for the 145-megawatt project expected by the end of 2011. The order also includes a two-year service and maintenance agreement…"

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"The wind farm will help We Energies meet the state’s requirement to get 10 percent of the utility’s power from renewable energy resources by 2015…The total cost of the Glacier Hills wind farm is expected to be about $452.1 million, including site work, turbines and transmission lines…The capital cost of the farm alone is expected to be between $335.2 million and $413.5 million, depending on the turbines…"

Thanks to Vestas, Colorado stands out. (click to enlarge)

"Vestas is one of the largest manufacturers of wind turbines in the world. The company has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Colorado to build a wind blade manufacturing plant in Windsor…[It] opened in March 2008…had a production shutdown during the first quarter, due to a drop in orders for wind turbines in 2009 stemming from the recession…[and] is expected to resume manufacturing within the next two months…

"The company also is completing the world’s largest tower plant in Pueblo, plus a nacelles assembly plant in Brighton and a second wind blade plant in Brighton. The new plants are expected to be up and running by the end of the year…Vestas supplied 88 wind turbines, model V82-1.65 MW, to We Energies in 2007 for the Blue Sky Green Field wind farm in Fon du Lac County, which started operations in 2008."