Siemens Energy has secured an order for the supply of 98 wind turbines for the Crossroads wind power plant in Oklahoma. The owner of the project is OG&E (Oklahoma Gas & Electric). Siemens will supply 95 units of the SWT-2.3-101 to the Crossroads project. Furthermore, the contract includes three units of the new SWT-3.0-101, Siemens’ new gearless direct drive wind turbine. The SWT-3.0-101 was launched for sale in America just a few months ago.
Construction of the 227.5 MW wind power project will begin in late August, with the first wind turbines being delivered in April, 2011. The Crossroads project will be built in Dewey County in northwest Oklahoma, approximately 160 km (100 miles) from Oklahoma City. The scope of supply for the Crossroads wind farm includes the delivery, installation, and commissioning of all turbines. Siemens will also provide services for turbine service and maintenance for an initial period of three and one-half years. Upon completion in the second half of 2011, Crossroads will be able to meet the electrical needs of more than 68,000 average U.S. homes. This is already the third Siemens wind power plant that will provide clean energy to OG&E, following the OU Spirit and Keenan II wind farms, built in 2009 and 2010, respectively.
“We are proud that OG&E has chosen Siemens again as the supplier to their wind power projects,” says Jens-Peter Saul, CEO of the Siemens Wind Power Business Unit. “This is the first time that the new SWT-3.0-101 direct drive turbine has been sold in the U.S. Bringing our new generation of direct drive wind turbines to Oklahoma is the first step in establishing this game-changing technology in North America.”
“We are excited to move forward this project, which we have negotiated on very favorable terms for OG&E’s customers,” says Jesse Langston, vice president of utility commercial operations. “By its third year in operation we expect Crossroads to be delivering net savings to our customers for the balance of the projects’ 25-year life. This is possible because of the excellent business partnerships we have formed with Siemens, and also due to the constructive regulatory environment we have in Oklahoma.”
Wind turbines are part of Siemens’ Environmental Portfolio. In fiscal 2009 revenue from the portfolio totaled about EUR23 billion, making Siemens the world’s largest supplier of ecofriendly technologies. In the same period the company’s products and solutions enabled customers to reduce their CO2 emissions by 210 million tons. This amount equals the combined annual CO2 emissions of New York, Tokyo, London, and Berlin. More information is available at: www.siemens.com/energy.
