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Ecuador's special purpose company Villonaco Wind Power was due to start site work on a 15 MW wind station last month in Ecuador's Loja province, reports online news service BNamericas. Villonaco is 80% owned by Canadian alternative energy generator Protocol Energy and 20% controlled by Enerloja, owned by Loja province. The C$26 million project is funded by Protocol Energy and a private placement of up to 1.6 million shares at C$0.50/share, which is 50% completed, according to BNamericas. Despite a delay, operations are due to start in November 2006. The company aims to sell power to mining companies simply because miners are energy hogs, Protocol's CEO Thomas Logan was reported as saying. Following the first round of a tender in May 2005, Villonaco will pick either Spanish firm Gamesa Eólica or German wind power equipment manufacturer Nordex to supply the wind turbines. The tender invites bids to supply turbines for the Loja province project as well as a proposed 30-65 MW wind station scheduled for the start of 2007.