REpower and RWE Innogy agree major framework agreement for the offshore wind industry
Hamburg (euro adhoc) -
Delivery of up to 250 REpower 5M/6M offshore turbines Turbines to be used at the Innogy Nordsee 1 wind farm, in the UK and the Netherlands
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Hamburg/Essen, 18 February 2009. REpower Systems AG (WKN 617703) and RWE Innogy GmbH today signed a framework agreement on the supply of 250 REpower 5M/6M offshore wind energy units. With a potential volume of approx. EUR 2 billion, this framework agreement represents one of the largest contracts in the history of wind industry and is at the same time the largest agreement ever in the area of offshore wind energy use.
Prof. Fritz Vahrenholt, Chairman of the Board of RWE Innogy: "This agreement underlines once again quite clearly that RWE Innogy is maintaining a high in-vestment tempo even in times of financial crisis." The first 30 offshore wind en-ergy units of the REpower 5M model are scheduled to be delivered in 2011, and the delivery volume will continue to rise through the years 2012 to 2015. The units will for the most part be used in the planned Innogy Nordsee 1 wind farm, which will be built 40 kilometres to the north of the East Frisian island of Juist. Due to the distance, the wind farm will not be visible from the coast.
Kevin McCullough, Chief Operating Officer of RWE Innogy, reports: "Innogy Nordsee 1 is an extremely exciting project. 40 kilometres north of the island of Juist, we are planning to construct between 150 and 180 wind turbines of the 5 and 6 megawatt class at water depths of 26 to 34 meters. With an installed ca-pacity of around 1,000 MW, the wind farm will statistically be able to supply elec-tricity to around 780,000 households. The agreement allows for significant flexi-bility across the full range of our offshore projects under development, including important markets like The Netherlands and the UK. That´s why we are pleased to have such an experienced and innovative partner as REpower to support us."
Matthias Schubert, CTO of REpower Systems AG, says: "We started to invest at a very early stage in the technologically ambitious offshore business. Four and a half years after the first 5M was built, we now have 17 5M turbines onshore and offshore and are market leader in the field of multi-megawatt systems, which have now been in serial production in our new manufacturing and logistics centre in Bremerhaven since the end of 2008."
Per Hornung Pedersen, CEO of REpower Systems AG, adds: "We are very pleased to be able to realise one of the largest ever wind power projects off the German coast in partnership with RWE. This represents a positive signal for the entire wind industry particularly against the background of the current economic situation. When completed, Innogy Nordsee 1 will be able to make a significant contribution to the climate goals of the German government and the European Union."
With a nominal output of 5 and 6 megawatts and a rotor diameter of 126 meters, the 5M and 6M are among the largest and most powerful wind energy systems in the world. The rotor consists of three rotor blades of 61.5 meters in length and has an area greater than that of two football fields, while the turbine house has the dimensions of a semi-detached house. REpower is currently installing the first three machines of the 6M series in an onshore project on the border to Denmark.
end of announcement euro adhoc
Further inquiry note:
Heike Binder
Tel.: +49(0)40 5555090-3209
E-Mail: heike.binder@repower.de
Branche: Alternative energy
ISIN: DE0006177033
WKN: 617703
Index: CDAX, Prime All Share, Quotrix
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