ACCIONA Windpower today announced that it will install two of its AW-3000/116, 3MW wind turbines this year in Cedar County, Iowa. The groundbreaking project, called Pioneer Grove, will be the first installation of the game-changing machine in North America.
“The AW-3000 wind turbines at Pioneer Grove will produce more power, more efficiently than anything we’ve installed before”.
“The AW-3000 wind turbines at Pioneer Grove wind power will produce more power, more efficiently than anything we’ve installed before,” said Joe Baker, CEO of ACCIONA Windpower North America. “With technology like the AW-3000, we can drive down energy costs and begin to take full advantage of our clean energy resources.”
The Pioneer Grove Wind Farm is located nearest to the town of Mechanicsville, Iowa. Construction is expected to be complete in the second half of 2012. The renewable energy power plant has a long-term power purchase agreement with Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO).
In 2011 ACCIONA introduced the enhanced AW-3000 machine with a 116-meter rotor diameter. The product launch touted the machine’s industry-leading power curve and the best cost of energy at sites with medium wind speeds, as well as its exceptional performance at almost any site, globally.
The Pioneer Grove Wind Farm will utilize two different tower technologies, which are both suitable for the AW-3000. One tower will be constructed to a height of 92 meters, using steel, while the other tower uses an innovative concrete solution and will reach a height of 100 meters.
The Pioneer Grove Wind Farm is less than 20 miles from ACCIONA’s wind turbine assembly plant in West Branch, Iowa. The facility employs more than 100 workers to assemble ACCIONA wind turbines.
“The State of Iowa is a great place to do business,” said Baker. “Governor Branstad, Iowa Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham, and the leaders of Cedar and Johnson Counties have set new standards for how government and business can work together to achieve the common goals of creating new jobs and clean energy for Iowa and Iowans.”
This project was prepared with the support of the IPF and OEI. However, any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the state of Iowa.
ACCIONA Energy is a global operator in clean energies with over 20 years’ experience in the sector and a strong presence in seven renewable technologies. It has installed 9,757 MW for clean electricity generation, of which 8,202 MW are owned by the company. The Company has installed 283 wind farms (8,392 MW); 80 hydroelectric power plants (912 MW); 5 Concentrated Solar Power plants (264 MW), one of the biggest photovoltaic solar energy plants in the world (46 MWp) and three biomass plants (57 MW). It manufactures wind turbines using in-house technology and owns and operates biodiesel and bioethanol production facilities. It also develops projects internally and for other customers, is present throughout the value chain, and produces and markets energy of renewable origin.
It belongs to ACCIONA, a leading multinational corporation operating in infrastructure, energy, water and services in more than 30 countries. Its corporate claim—“Pioneers in development and sustainability”—mirrors its commitment to contribute to economic growth, social progress and care for the environment through its complete range of activities. This commitment is recognized by ACCIONA’s inclusion in the Dow Jones (DJSI) and FTSE4Good sustainability indexes. ACCIONA is listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange’s Ibex-35 blue chip index. It has a workforce of around 31,000 professionals and posted nearly 6.7 billion euros in revenues in 2011.
