Iberdrola picks Alstom-Ecotècnia as turbine supplier
Iberdrola, with its traditional turbine supplier Gamesa fully extended to meet existing orders, is now turning to other Spanish manufacturers. Both Alstom-Ecotècnia, a veteran of the industry (page 80), and newcomer Eozen have won favour. Iberdrola has signed up for 310 MW from Ecotècnia, that company's biggest order ever, and for ten of Eozen's 1.5 MW direct drive turbine with a permanent magnet generator, made under licence from Vensys of Germany, now majority owned by China's Goldwind. The Alstom-Ecotècnia order is for a mix of 1.67 MW and 2 MW machines for delivery during 2008-2011. The turbines are destined for sites in seven European countries: Spain, Poland, France, Italy, Portugal, Germany and the UK. It is not known where the Eozen machines, to be made at the company's factory in Marquesado de Zinete, Granada, in Andalucia are going. The order is only Eozen's second to date, the other being for 18 MW in India (page 82), but it seems likely Iberdrola will be asking for more. The utility is planning a 300 MW extension to its 198 MW El Marquesado wind plant. Iberdrola president Ignacio Galan says the extension to the Gamesa equipped plant will use some Eozen machines. "Regardless of how much comes our way, the ten machine contract with the world's biggest wind operator says a lot about our technology," says Eozen's Manuel Marquez. "It's a big boost." Eozen can make 400 machines a year. For Iberdrola the two orders come on the heels of a 300 MW contract with America's GE Energy and follow orders for 300 MW from Japan's Mitsubishi and 700 MW from India's Suzlon. All 1300 MW of these turbines are for projects Iberdrola is developing in the US.