Greentech Lead America: Siemens Canada has been awarded a contract by Samsung Renewable Energy and Pattern Energy Group to supply and commission 124 wind turbines for the South Kent wind project.
The 270-MW project, located in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in Southwestern Ontario, will generate enough energy for up to 100,000 Ontario homes. The SWT-2.3-101 turbines to be installed for the project have a maximum power rating of up to 2.3 megawatts (MW) each and a rotor diameter of 101 meters at a hub-height of 99.5 meters.
According to the Canadian Wind Energy Association, Canada is the ninth largest producer of wind energy in the world with current installed capacity at roughly 6,500 MW. With the South Kent order, Ontario will join Washington, Texas and Iowa as territories in North America with more than 1,000 MW of Siemens installed capacity.
The project is expected to create up to 600 jobs in the Province associated with the South Kent and subsequent projects.
All blades for the project will be manufactured by Siemens at the company’s wind turbine blade facility in Tillsonburg. Towers for the project will be manufactured at CS Wind’s facility in Windsor using Ontario-made steel.
The investments by Siemens and CS Wind totals more than $100 million (CAD).
To enhance the proximity to the installed base and enable better service to the project, Siemens has also established its first Canadian wind turbine service and maintenance distribution center in Chatham, Ontario. The facility will also incorporate a training center for developing and maintaining the technical skills required for Siemens service technicians.
Installation of the wind turbines for the South Kent project is scheduled to begin this year, with the start of operations expected for spring 2014. The deal also includes a three-year service agreement.
“Increasingly, renewable energy providers consider Chatham-Kent to be a community where new research and development is under way, skilled workers are ready, education and training are encouraged, and industry support services can be strategically located along major transportation routes,” said Randy Hope, mayor, Chatham-Kent.