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GE Energy Supplies 198 Wind Turbines for Six Projects in Central Spain LONDON, ENGLAND (November 22, 2004) — GE Energy has completed the installation of 198 GE 1.5-megawatt wind turbines for projects across the Castilla La Mancha region of central Spain, the company reported today at the 2004 European Wind Energy Conference & Exhibition. With a total installed wind power capacity of 297 megawatts, the new wind facilities are expected to serve the electricity needs of approximately 190,000 Spanish homes. The 198 wind turbines were installed in groups of 33 units at each of six sites in Cuenca, a province of the Castilla La Mancha region. Four of the sites - Cuesta Colorada, Cerro Palo, Cerro Calderón and Muela - are located in the Sisante area, while two - Maza and Callejas - are in Campillo de Altobuey. The wind turbines were supplied by GE under an agreement with Energía Hidroeléctrica de Navarra, S.A. (EHN), a leading Spanish renewable energy developer that is responsible for the turnkey construction of the wind farms and their operation and maintenance. EHN's original stake in these wind projects subsequently was transferred to Iberdrola S.A., Spain's second largest power company. "All of the 198 wind turbines installed for the six Castilla La Mancha wind facilities were manufactured locally at GE Energy's facilities in Noblejas," said Antonio Casla, General Manager of GE Energy's wind segment in the Iberian Peninsula. "We are pleased to be supporting the efforts of Energía Hidroeléctrica de Navarra, S.A. and Iberdola S.A. in bringing this new wind energy capacity to the people of Spain." The Castilla La Mancha wind energy projects support the country's goal to increase its wind power capacity to 20,000 megawatts of capacity by year 2010. At the end of 2003, Spain ranked second in the world in wind power, with 6,420 megawatts of installed capacity, including 986 in Castilla La Mancha, according to the European Wind Energy Association's Wind Force 12 report issued in May of 2004. GE's 1.5-megawatt machines utilize a variable-speed, constant-frequency design and custom-designed airfoils for enhanced reliability and high energy capture. The Castilla La Mancha projects' units have a hub height of 80 meters. GE's 1.5-megawatt wind turbines are among the world's most widely sold and highly tested wind turbines. Earlier this year, GE announced that its 1.5-megawatt machine was the first wind turbine in the megawatt class to reach 2,500 installations worldwide. Iberdrola, based in Bilbao, is a global leader in the development of renewable energy, focusing on wind power, small hydro power stations, solar and biomass plants. The company's goal is to manage 4,500 megawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2008. EHN, based in Navarre, also considered a world leader in renewable energy, has installed nearly 2,500 megawatts in different renewable energy technologies, with facilities in seven countries, and has plans to add an additional 2,000 megawatts over the next three years. The company currently operates 80 wind farms with more than 2,500 turbines. About GE Energy GE Energy (www.gepower.com) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technology, with 2003 revenues of nearly $18.5 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy provides equipment, service and management solutions across the power generation, oil and gas, transmission and distribution, distributed power and energy rental industries. With wind turbine design, manufacturing and/or assembly facilities in Germany, Spain, and the United States, GE Energy's current wind energy portfolio includes wind turbines with rated outputs ranging from 1,500 to 3,600 kilowatts, and support services ranging from project development assistance to operation and maintenance. The company has developed and/or installed more than 6,900 wind turbines with a total capacity exceeding 5,000 megawatts. For more information, contact: GE Energy: Dennis Murphy GE Energy +1 678 844 6948 dennis.murphy@ps.ge.com Ken Darling or Beth Coffman Masto Public Relations +1 518 786 6488 kenneth.darling@ps.ge.com beth.coffman@mastopr.com > Press Contacts > More 2004 Press Releases |