The contract comprises supply of the wind turbines, supervision of the installation on site, commissioning as well as a VestasOnline® Business SCADA system and a two-year service and availability agreement. Delivery of the wind turbines is scheduled to start in the first half of 2012 and the wind power project is expected to be completed by the end of 2012.
The order has been placed by Zorlu Energy Pakistan Ltd., which is a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of the Turkish Zorlu Enerji Electricity Generation Inc. In 2006, the company signed an agreement with the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) of the Government of Pakistan to build the first wind farm in Pakistan for a total capacity of 56.4 MW. The first phase of the wind power project comprising 6 MW has been in operation since 2009 and the second phase comprising the 50.4 MW will be delivered by Vestas.
Murat Sungur Bursa, CEO of Zorlu Energy Group declares: “We take pride in building the first wind power plant in Pakistan, which will lead the wind industry in the country and, hopefully, will motivate other investors to seek opportunities in the region. In this wind farm, Vestas is a very strong technology partner offering us reliable and efficient products. We trust that they will deliver the best solutions with high-quality service and professional sector experience both locally and globally. Our partnership on this particular project will have a positive impact within the region in terms of social and economic welfare and it will strengthen our collaboration.”
“We are pleased to have been chosen as preferred partner for this project by Zorlu Enerji, one of the largest energy companies in Turkey. They have shown their trust in our capabilities and our team to support them in this new challenging project in Pakistan ensuring business case certainty and a high return on the investment,” says Olcayto Yigit, Director, sales region Turkey, Vestas Türkiye.
Juan Araluce, President, Vestas Mediterranean, concludes: “We are extremely proud to start our operations in a new market, such as Pakistan, through the development of this important project together with the Zorlu Energy Group. I am very confident that this project will pave the way for an even stronger relationship between both companies.”
Sean Sutton, President, Vestas Asia Pacific, concludes: “We are glad to be part of this prestigious project in Pakistan. We believe that this milestone puts Vestas in an advantageous position to encourage and support the development of wind power in this country going forward.”
Zorlu Energy Pakistan’s 56.4 MW wind power plant will have an estimated annual production of 159,000 MWh per year, which corresponds to the residential electricity consumption of approx. 350,000 persons in Pakistan. Moreover, the wind farm will save the environment from more than 90,000 tons of CO2 emissions on an annual basis.
As part of its short-term policy, the Government of Pakistan introduced in 2006 a Policy for Development of Renewable Energy for Power Generation with the aim of utilizing the unexploited wind resources in the country as well as of attracting new investments to Pakistan. This cooperation between Zorlu Enerji and Vestas will be a landmark to pave the way for developing wind energy in the country.
Vestas is the world leader in supplying high-tech wind power systems. Wind power from Vestas’ more than 44,500 wind turbines currently reduces carbon emissions by approx. 50 million tons of CO2 every year, while at the same time building energy security and independence. Today, Vestas has installed turbines in 66 countries, and for our own operations alone we provide jobs for over 20,000 passionate people at our service and project sites, research facilities, factories and offices all over the world.
In January 2008, Vestas established an office in Istanbul, which is responsible for all sales, construction, service and maintenance operations in Turkey and in the Middle East region. Vestas has been operating in Turkey since 1984 when it installed its first turbine. As of 30 June 2011, Vestas has delivered to the Turkish market a cumulative capacity close to 475 MW.
The Zorlu Energy Group, whose foundations were laid with the establishment of Zorlu Energy Electricity Generation Inc. in 1993, has integrated activities locally and globally, including generation and sales of electric power, distribution and sales of natural gas as well as “turnkey” installations and long-term maintenance and operation of power plants. The Group has a total installed generating capacity of 745 MW with a portfolio of five natural gas power plants, seven hydroelectric power plants, one geothermal power plant and one wind power plant in various regions of Turkey. The Group operates in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Zorlu Energy Pakistan was established in September 2007 to develop wind power plants and generate electricity through wind. The wind power plant to be located in the Gharo, Keti, Bandar, Hyderabad wind corridor in Pakistan’s Jimphir region will have a total installed capacity of 56.4 MW when fully completed.
