ABB Wins $32 million Wind Power Orders in Brazil

Zurich, Switzerland - ABB has won orders worth $32 million to supply five new transformer substations and build overhead transmission lines to serve 14 wind farms with a generation capacity of about 300 megawatts (MW).

The orders were placed in the fourth quarter of 2010 by Renova Energia SA, a Brazilian power company specializing in the generation of electricity from renewable resources such as wind and small hydro power plants.

ABB will design, engineer, supply, construct and commission the substations, and also train customer operators and maintenance staff. ABB will also supply and install 60 km of 69 kV overhead transmission lines to connect a 290 MW (megawatt) wind power plant to the national electricity grid that is currently under construction in the northeastern state of Bahia. The project is scheduled for completion in 2012.

Brazil has traditionally relied heavily on hydropower for its electricity supply. This project is part of the government's efforts to promote wind as an integral part of its renewable energy portfolio. The Brazilian Wind Energy Association aims to install 10 GW (gigawatts) of wind energy by 2020. The country currently has around 600 MW of wind capacity, with another 450 MW under construction.

Source: IWR Online, 11 Jan 2011