Duke Energy will use 73 Siemens wind turbines, each capable of generating 2.3 megawatts of emission-free electricity, to build its first wind farm in Kansas. Duke Energy Renewables—a commercial business unit of Duke Energy—will build, own, and operate the 168MW Ironwood Windpower Project in Ford County, approximately 150 miles west of Wichita. Topeka-based Westar Energy will purchase all of the electricity and associated renewable energy credits produced by the site under the terms of a 20-year agreement.
Duke Energy Renewables plans to start construction of the Ironwood Windpower Project in the fall of 2011. The wind farm, which is expected to reach commercial operation by mid-2012, will be capable of generating enough electricity to power more than 50,000 homes. “The Ironwood Windpower Project, which will help Westar deliver clean energy to its customers for decades to come, marks another milestone for Duke Energy,” according to Greg Wolf, president of Duke Energy Renewables. “It’s our first wind farm in Kansas, and it will put us well over 1,000 megawatts of wind power capacity in the U.S.”
Each nacelle will be supplied by Siemens’ new 300,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Hutchinson, Kansas. The facility, which opened in December 2010, produces nacelles for Siemens’ 2.3MW and 3.0MW wind turbines.
“We are delighted that Duke Energy has once again chosen Siemens’ highly advanced wind turbines and service solutions, and we look forward to working closely with them to advance their renewable energy plans in the U.S.,” says Jan Kjaersgaard, vice president and general manager of Siemens’ Americas Wind Power business. “We are especially proud that the nacelles for these turbines are being assembled at our Hutchinson facility, marking the first time Kansas-built nacelles will be operating at a Kansas wind farm.”
Duke Energy Renewables owns nearly 1,000MW of generating capacity at nine U.S. wind farms: four in Wyoming, three in Texas, one in Colorado, and one in Pennsylvania. Since 2007 Duke Energy has invested more than $1.5 billion to grow its commercial wind and solar power businesses. More information can be obtained by visiting www.duke-energy.com and www.siemens.com/energy.
