At the end of 2005, MHI cumulative wind turbines sales broke through the milestone figure of 2000 units to reach 2055 units (total power output: 1,271,470 kW) following the sale of a total of 170 turbines to wind power generation customers in the US.
MHI's sold 170 MWT-1000A wind turbines with 1000kW output to wind farms under construction in the states of New Mexico and Iowa.
The customer in New Mexico is the San Juan Mesa Wind Energy Project, a wind farm under construction in Roosevelt County at the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains. The farm, which has a total output of 120,000 kW, is owned by Edison Mission Energy (an independent power producer [IPP] that is a subsidiary of the major US power company). The electricity produced will be bought by South Western Public Service to supply it to 42,000 local households. To undertake the project, MHI formed a consortium with US wind turbine developer Padoma Wind Power (Padoma). MHI will supply the wind turbines and implement test operations while, Padoma will procure the electrical parts and perform the installation.
The customer in Iowa is MidAmerican Energy Company (the Iowa state power company). The company is expanding a wind farm in Iowa state on the west bank of Lake Michigan. The company has ordered an additional 50 turbines (total power output 50,000 kW) to complement the 207 wind turbines already installed. MHI will supply the wind turbines and implement test operations. Electricity produced by the wind farm will be supplied to 14,000 households in and around the state.
The structure and design of the MWT-1000A, which includes a 10% extension in blade length, permits it to generate electricity efficiently even at low wind speeds. Although the MWT-1000A has a power output of 1000 kW, its annual power output is equivalent to larger turbines. The customer's favorable appraisal of these performance figures led to the order. As the US has extended favorable tax breaks for wind power generation until December 2007 and fossil fuel prices also continue to rise, the wind power generation market is expected to show continued growth.
MHI first entered the wind power generation business in 1980. Up to now, MHI steadily improve the performance and strength of turbine blades with the adoption of fiberglass reinforced plastic, the development of gearless variable-speed wind turbines with a permanent magnet synchronous generator, the realization of low wind speed turbines and the introduction of high-quality blade production lines that use a unique vacuum impregnation system. MHI now come to make practicable a 2000 kW turbines, the largest class of turbines in Japan.
Achieving cumulative sales of over 2000 units will give further impetus to the growth of MHI's wind turbine business. MHI hopes to use this opportunity to develop and encourage the adoption of even more economical, high power output wind power generation systems.
