 The
following is being distributed at the request of
Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro:
Newfoundland and
Labrador Hydro announces outcome of Wind Generation
Request for Proposals
Newfoundland and
Labrador Hydro (Hydro) announced today that NeWind
Group Inc. will be awarded a contract to provide 25
megawatts (MW) of wind power to the island from its
St. Lawrence Wind Project.
"This project is
another step forward for Newfoundland and Labrador
in developing renewable, long-term energy supplies,"
said Natural Resources Minister Kathy Dunderdale.
"It’s very exciting to see this project proceed and
provide local benefits to St. Lawrence and the Burin
Peninsula. We recognize the tremendous social and
economic opportunity that can be realized by
developing our energy resources and we are doing it
in a strategic manner to ensure optimal benefit over
the long term."
"NeWind submitted a
comprehensive, cost-effective proposal for wind
power," said Ed Martin, Hydro’s CEO. "We’re pleased
to move forward with the company. They’ll be
developing a project that makes economic and
environmental sense for Newfoundland and Labrador.
The project will provide clean, renewable energy for
homes and businesses in this province.
"This project will
also provide the province with a stable, long-term
supply of power," noted Mr. Martin.
There were seven bids
submitted on the August 31 deadline which were
subject to a rigourous and thorough evaluation. "The
Request for Proposals process was open, competitive
and comprehensive," explained Mr. Martin, "ensuring
that we achieved appropriate value from potential
developers and that Hydro delivers value to energy
consumers on the island."
The next step will be
to conclude the power purchase agreement with NeWind
which Hydro expects will be complete within six
weeks. The island’s first wind farm has the
potential to provide annual energy for 6,800 homes
and is expected to be in service by the end of 2008.
The project will be
located near the community of St. Lawrence on the
Burin Peninsula and will result in the installation
of 14, 1.8MW turbines supplied by Vestas Wind
Systems.
Wind power provides a
clean, renewable and stable, long-term source of
energy for Newfoundland and Labrador with zero
emissions. Energy from the St. Lawrence Wind Project
has the potential to offset over 165,000 barrels of
fuel burned annually to generate power at the
Holyrood Thermal Generating Station.
"Although, today, we
cannot replace the plant with wind generation,"
explained Mr. Martin, "we can certainly reduce the
amount of energy generated from the plant through
the addition of clean, cost-effective and renewable
energy sources such as wind."
Newfoundland and
Labrador has a world-class wind resource. Currently,
the island system is isolated from the North
American grid with existing generating capacity of
1,919 MW provided by approximately 65 per cent
hydroelectric and 35 per cent fossil fuel
generation.
This contract award
is consistent with government’s approach to the
strategic long-term development of the province’s
energy resources. The provincial government is now
in the final stages of concluding consultations on a
provincial Energy Plan, which will provide the major
directions and policies that will guide the
development of the energy sector over the long term
for the benefit of the people of the province. The
plan will ensure energy developments, including
wind, are done in a way that is consistent with
government’s long-term objectives for the sector and
the province. The plan will be released this fall.
Media contact:
Tracy Barron,
Natural Resources, (709) 729-5282, 685-4624
tracybarron@gov.nl.ca
Dawn Dalley, NL
Hydro, (709) 737-1315, 727-7715
ddalley@nlh.nl.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Wind Power
Wind turbines
capture the kinetic energy in surface winds and
convert it into electrical energy in the form of
electricity. To do this use they use three basic
parts: blades, a shaft and a generator. As wind
moves over turbine blades, it cause "lift" — the
same effect used by airplane wings. Lift makes the
blades rotate. The turning blades turn a shaft.
The turning shaft moves a magnetic field in the
generator, which in turn creates electricity.
According to the
Canadian Wind Energy Association, (www.canwea.org)
as of June 2006, Canada’s installed wind energy
capacity was1,049 MW - already powering over
315,000 homes and businesses in a clean, reliable
and efficient manner.
There are many
factors to consider in wind development besides
wind resource. Other areas of consideration
include how much wind energy can be effectively
integrated into the electricity grid and at what
cost. Based on the experience of other countries
it is possible for Canada to achieve 20 per cent
of its electricity needs from wind energy that
would be 50,000 MW of wind energy capacity.
The community of
Ramea, on the south coast of Newfoundland, has had
a wind-diesel project in operation since September
2004 and in 2005 produced 10 per cent of the
communities energy needs and offsetting
approximately 110,000 litres of diesel fuel.
St. Lawrence Wind
Project
The St. Lawrence
Wind Project is a project of NeWind Group Inc., a
subsidiary of ENEL North America Inc. ENEL is
Italy’s largest power company. To execute the St.
Lawrence Wind Project, ENEL has established
relationships with a consortium of companies
including local construction and engineering
companies. fga Consulting engineers Limited and
Quadratec Inc. ENEL has extensive experience in
wind project assessment, development and
operation.
The project is a
25.2 MW wind project located about one km
northwest of the community of St. Lawrence on the
Burin Peninsula.
The project will
install 14 Vestas V-80, 1.8 MW wind turbines.
The hub of the
turbine will be 67 metres high.
The rotor diameter
will be 80 metres (40 metres per blade) with an
average speed of 15.5 RPM.
The wind project
will generate enough energy annually to power
approximately 6,800 homes.
The project is
expected to be on stream in late 2008.
The power purchase
agreement will be for a 20 year term.
Wind Turbine
Technology
The nacelle is the
size of a small motor home and weighs 63,000 kg.
Each blade is 39 m
long – the same length as a Boeing 737 and the
three-blade rotor weighs 35,000 kg.
The 65 m tower is
made up of rolled steel and comes in three pieces.
The entire tower weighs 132,000 kg and contains
enough steel to manufacture 206 average cars.
The foundation is 9
– 10 m deep and 4 m across. 102 tension type bolts
run the full depth of the foundation.
Swept area of the
blades is 5,024 sq. m – the size of three NHL
hockey rinks combined – or about 1.25 acres.
Total weight of the
entire turbine is 230,000 kg – about the same as
two fully fuelled 3,200 HP diesel electric
locomotives.
2006 10
02 2:15 p.m |
