Wind Energy

Iberdrola began works on the La Venta III wind farm in Mexico

Iberdrola Engineering and Construction recently began works on the La Venta III wind farm which means that the company has positioned itself as a major wind farm builder in Mexico after having terminated works at La Ventosa and La Venta II wind farms. The La Venta III will be built for Iberdrola Renewable, the winning bidder for the wind power project in an international tender process convened by the Federal Commission of Electricity.

The La Venta III wind farm is located in the municipal of Santa Domingo Ingenio, in the State of Oaxaca. The wind energy installation, which will have a nominal power of 102.85 MW, will use 121 Gamesa Eolica model G52 wind turbine with a power of 850 KW and with a height of 44 meters. Its production will be equivalent to the consumption of approximately 200,000 persons and will prevent the emission of 150,000 tons of CO2 annually.

The wind farm will include a principal substation that will increase the energy tension from 34.5 kV to 230 kV for its transmission to the interconnection point located at the La Venta II substation as well as a 230kV transmission line and with a length of 10 kilometer in order to interconnect both substations. The project development will comprise basic engineering and more specifically, the supply of equipment and construction.

The wind park’s entry into commercial operation is scheduled for June 2011. Prior to May 2011, the assembly of the wind turbines will have finished and will have begun their operational tests. The putting into operation of La Venta III will contribute to the economic development of the State of Oaxaca, one of the Mexican zones with a great potential to develop wind farms due to its high wind indexes.

Last January, the La Ventosa wind farm, also built by Iberdrola Engineering and Construction for the renewable energy subsidiary for the Group, was inaugurated. This 80 MW wind farm has 94 Gamesa G52 aero generators and has been registered by the UN as a Clean Development Mechanism, an instrument created to encourage clean energies and comply with the objectives of Kyoto Protocol.

Lastly, in December 2006, the engineering and construction subsidiary completed the La Venta II wind farm with a power of 83.3 MW and construction in consortium with Gamesa for the state CFE in Oaxaca. The wind farm has 98 aero generators and was at the time the largest operating wind farm installation in South America.

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