ORLANDO, Fla. – Siemens has been awarded an order from Apex Clean Energy to supply, support installation and provide long-term service for 130 wind turbines for the Kay Wind project to be located in Kay County, Oklahoma, approximately two hours north of Oklahoma City. Installation of the wind turbines is scheduled to begin this year, with the start of operations expected for the fourth quarter of 2015. Upon completion of the project, Southern Company subsidiary Southern Power will acquire the wind facility from Apex Clean Energy, marking the company’s first wind project. Apex will continue to serve as asset manager of the project.
“Wind power helps form the backbone of an energy mix that is affordable, reliable and sustainable. We welcome the opportunity to work with Apex Clean Energy on this project, which will offer a significant source of clean power,” said Jacob Andersen, CEO Onshore Americas, Siemens Wind Power and Renewables Division. “America’s wind industry helps deliver clean energy while also sustaining jobs here in the United States. Siemens is proud that workers at our factories in the Midwest will produce the blades and nacelles for this project, and our highly skilled technicians will provide service that ensures
these turbines operate at optimal levels.”
“Apex is pleased to be working with Siemens to bring the benefits of affordable, renewable energy to Oklahoma and Kansas,” said Apex President Mark Goodwin. “This project will help boost the Kay County economy and support local schools, while helping to reduce rates for energy consumers in the Southwest Power Pool system.”
The 299-MW project is expected to create enough clean energy to power approximately 100,000 average U.S. homes annually. Power produced at the site will be purchased by Westar Energy and GRDA. The project will feature Siemens SWT-2.3-108 wind turbines, each with a power rating of 2.3 megawatts (MW) and 53 meter blades.
The Siemens SWT-2.3-108 wind turbines are part of the company’s G2 platform of onshore geared products – the workhorse of Siemens’-installed portfolio with rotor diameters optimized for all wind conditions. The G2 platform features highly-engineered, designed and manufactured components, exceptional reliability and low operational costs for an optimized return on investment.
The nacelles for the project will be assembled at the Siemens facility in Hutchinson, Kansas. The blades will be manufactured at the Siemens blade facility in Fort Madison, Iowa.
A long-term service and maintenance agreement was also signed for the project and includes Siemens’ remote monitoring and diagnostic services, which offer a proactive approach to service and maintenance to help bolster the performance of the turbines during their lifetime. Siemens’ Financial Services (SFS) Division has committed to fund up to $80 million of the project’s construction financing.