NEWSLETTER Nº33

Iberdrola Renovables and Gamesa signs the largest ever operation in the history of the wind power industry
Both companies have signed the largest turbine supply contract ever in the wind power industry representing a total capacity of 4,500 megawatts (MW), for delivery between 2010 and 2012. The investment for wind power projects to which the turbines will be assigned is approximately 6.3 billion euros, a figure that includes the turbines and other costs such as transport, civil works and interconnections, both those at the wind farms themselves and to the grid. Read more…

Schott Solar accelerates expansion
Schott Solar intends to increase the annual capacity for the production of receivers for solar power plants with parabolic trough technology (Concentrated Solar Power) by the end of 2009 to approximately one GW. The annual production capacity of the joint venture Wacker Schott is also planned to reach one GW by 2012. Read more…

REC secures a 300 million euros wafer sales contract
The company has entered into a significant long-term agreement for supply of multi-crystalline silicon wafers to Gintech. Under the agreement, REC will until 2015 deliver wafers worth more than 388 million euros. Read more…

Siemens hands over Bugok II combined cycle power plant in South Korea ahead of schedule
Siemens Energy officially handed over the Bugok II combined cycle power plant to the customer GS Electric Power and Services, Seoul. After a construction period of only 26 months the plant with a capacity of 565 MW was put on line about one month ahead of schedule in March 2008. Siemens has signed a 20-year maintenance agreement with GS EPS for the Bugok I and II plants. Read more…

Sputnik opens a branch office in Paris
Swiss PV inverter manufacturer Sputnik Engineering opens a branch office in Paris in response to growing demand. On July the 1st the company will begin its sales and customer service under the name of Sputnik Engineering France. Read more…

Greenhunter Energie opens the largest biodiesel refinery of USA
The company celebrated last week the grand opening of its state-of-the-art Renewable Fuels Campus   as well as the commencement of commercial operations of the Company’s new biodiesel refinery located in Houston, Texas, the largest in the United States and is “feedstock agnostic”. It can use 100% animal fats, 100% vegetable oils, or any blend of the two interchangeably. Read more…

RWE Innogy expands business in Spain
RWE Innogy has acquired 100% of the shares in Spanish wind power operator Urvasco Energía, Bilbao. Urvasco Energía owns six onshore wind farms supplying a total of 150 megawatts of power. Thus output from RWE-operated wind parks in Spain now totals around 350 megawatts. Read more…

Degerenergie has installed 20.000 of its tracking systems
Germany has set the standards with the patented Degerconecter-controlled tracking system and established the company as world-wide market leader. In August of the last year the 10.000th installed Degertraker tracking system could be announced with Spanish partners and once again there is the next reason to acclaim. Read more…

Xantrex strengthens its position in Germany
Xantrex Technology announced the founding of its German entity located in Berlin Adlershof. The establishment of a German office will strengthen its position in the significant German solar market. The firm chose Berlin Adlershof for its German office due to the critical mass of renewable energy companies and research organizations in the area. Read more…

Wind industry welcomes the Crown Estate offshore announcement 
BWEA has welcomed the Crown Estate’s announcement of a speeded up timetable for allocating the next generation of offshore wind farm sites. Speaking at association’s Offshore 08 conference in Westminster, Rob Hastings, Director of the Marine Estate for this estate, revealed that significant zones for 25GW of wind farms will be tendered out to developers through the summer of next year. Read more…

Recognised the key role of energy storage in the future development of photovoltaic power
“Energy storage technology will become an important, value-added component in photovoltaic (PV) systems in the future and will contribute to the continuous long term growth of PV”. That is the conclusion reached by a joint working group convened by Epia (European Photovoltaic Industry Association) and Eurobat (Association of European Storage Battery Manufacturers). Read more…