Gamesa Eólica and Nordex secure contracts

Two turbine contracts went to Portugal last month as competition in the national wind market heats up. In its first contract with a third party developer in Portugal, Spain's Gamesa Eólica clinched a deal for nine, 2 MW turbines with developer Tecneira, affiliated to Portuguese industrial group Procme. The EUR 13 million contract is for two projects, Amaral I (8 MW) and Caldas I (10 MW), to the west of Lisbon. Gamesa aims to corner 36% of Portugal wind turbine market, from the 2% it holds today of the 300 MW of wind installed so far. Apart from developing its own projects in the country, totalling over 1000 MW, Gamesa is reportedly preparing the ground to attract more Portuguese customers by improving turbine warranty and availability. If no turbine manufacturers outside Spain are tempted to set up a production line in Portugal, Portuguese developers are expected to increasingly turn to turbine suppliers from their neighbour, where Gamesa controls over 60% of the market, to reduce import costs. Meanwhile, German Nordex -- reportedly negotiating an industrial investment plan which would give it a production foothold in Portugal -- has clinched a EUR 21 million turnkey order to supply nine 2.3 MW turbines to the 21 MW Carreço/Outeiro project. The deal marks Nordex' second order from Portuguese developer Generg, to which it supplied ten 1.3 MW turbines last year for a plant at Vergão. Generg is negotiating a further order for three Nordex 2.3 MW turbines. Nordex clinched its first Portuguese order for this model last year in a turnkey contract to equip developer Enersis' 35 MW Chão Falcão project. Enercon and Vestas are the main Portuguese suppliers, with Bonus and Nordex.