GE Vernova’s Onshore Wind division has sealed a deal with Pattern Energy, solidifying a partnership aimed at the SunZia Wind project in New Mexico.
GE Vernova will supply 674 units of the 3.6-154 wind turbines, delivering over 2.4 gigawatts (GW) of clean, sustainable power.
Pattern Energy has earlier closed an $11 billion non-recourse financing and begun full construction of SunZia Transmission and SunZia Wind.
The EPC Contractor of the transmission line is Quanta Infrastructure Services Group and the HVDC supplier is Hitachi Energy. The EPC contractor for the wind project is Blattner Energy, a Quanta affiliated company. Both GE Vernova and Vestas are supplying wind turbines to Pattern Energy.
Western Hemisphere’s largest wind project will elevate GE Vernova’s installed base alongside Pattern Energy in North America to an estimated 4.3 GW upon project finalization. This landmark order, secured during the fourth quarter of 2023, stands as GE Vernova’s largest onshore wind turbine agreement in history, both in terms of turbine quantity and gigawatt power generation.
Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova, lauded the project as a testament to the catalyzing effect of policy certainty, particularly highlighting the role played by regulatory frameworks like the IRA in propelling substantial investments within the U.S. wind power sector.
Vic Abate, Chief Technology Officer at GE and CEO of GE Vernova’s Wind business, emphasized the project’s significance in showcasing the company’s proficiency in executing its “workhorse” strategy within Onshore Wind. This strategy involves streamlined production of fewer variants on a large scale, prioritizing quality and reliability across their customer fleet.
The 3.6-154 turbine, positioned as one of GE’s foremost next-generation workhorse products, boasts unparalleled efficiency tailored specifically for the U.S. market. This turbine builds upon the success of its predecessor, the 2.8-127, renowned as the world’s top-performing turbine in recent years according to the Woodmack 2022 OEM report.
The collaboration between GE Vernova and Pattern Energy over the SunZia project spans 18 months, involving joint efforts in developmental phases and supply chain optimization, aligning with GE Vernova’s “workhorse” philosophy.
Hunter Armistead, CEO of Pattern Energy, underscored the project’s role in generating thousands of new jobs in manufacturing and construction within the United States, with the GE turbine’s nacelles and towers being domestically manufactured.
GE Vernova’s investment of $50 million and creation of 200 additional union jobs for its Onshore Wind division in Schenectady, New York, is part of the broader strategy to fortify American manufacturing, leveraging the benefits offered by the Inflation Reduction Act.
As the predominant provider of onshore wind turbine installations in the U.S. over the past five years, according to the American Clean Power Association, GE Vernova’s Onshore Wind business maintains a global fleet exceeding 55,000 wind turbines.
Pattern Energy’s operational portfolio includes 30 renewable energy facilities with an operating capacity of nearly 6,000 MW across North America.