Wind energy in Ecuador: Goldwind will build Loja wind farm

The Electricity Corporation of Ecuador (Celec) last week awarded the construction project to China’s wind power companies, after making a call from four companies in the country. Goldwind manufactures wind turbines.

According to the schedule of the Ministry of strategic sectors, Villonaco wind farm start construction in September and should be operational next year. The wind farm will have 11 wind turbines between 50 and 80 feet each, and blades with a diameter of between 30 and 60 meters.

The company will build a substation and a transmission line that will allow to evacuate the power generated in the substation Villonaco to Loja and then to the National Interconnected System which will provide 15 MW.

The wind farm is the first generation of wind energy in Ecuador, besides being the first in the world to develop at an altitude of 2,700 meters. Each kilowatt hour will cost $0.08 while the wind power project is amortized over the next 10 years.

By José Santamarta, www.evwind.com