ESB extends cooperation with Nordex in Ireland and UK

The Nordex Group has secured a new project order in Ireland in September this year. The manufacturer will supply and install turbines to the 33.1 MW “Castlepook” wind farm, jointly-owned and developed by Irish semi-state companies ESB (Electricity Supply Board) and Coillte.

The project site is located in the Ballyhoura Forest in County Cork in the south of Ireland, and will feature 14 N90/2500 wind turbines with a 125m tip height. Turbine delivery will start in summer 2017. The customer has also signed a Premium Service contract for an initial period of six years.

In addition to this project, the Nordex Group has been awarded four new service contracts by ESB for full maintenance of a total of 27 turbines. The wind farms are located in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland, where turbines from the N80/2500 and N90/2500 product ranges have been operating up to 6 1/2 years. In three cases, the existing Premium service contracts have been renewed for another five years. In the case of “Hunters Hill” wind farm, ESB has upgraded the existing Extended Service contract to a Premium contract.

Nordex’ Kim Wichmann-Hansen, Executive Vice-President Northern Europe, comments “ESB has years of experience operating Nordex turbines, so it is a great compliment that they choose to place new orders and extend service agreements with us”. ESB has 35 Nordex turbines (88MW) already in operation, with a further 25 turbines (63MW) on order.

The group has installed wind power capacity of around 20 GW in over 25 markets. In 2015, Nordex and Acciona Windpower recorded combined sales of EUR 3.4 billion. The company currently has roughly 5,000 employees, with its production network comprising plants in Germany, Spain, Brazil, the United States and India. The product range primarily concentrates on onshore turbines in the 1.5 – 3.6 MW class addressing the requirements of developed as well as emerging markets.

Electricity Supply Board (ESB) was established in 1927. As a strong, diversified, vertically integrated utility, ESB operates across the electricity market. Wind generation is a core component of ESB’s sustainability strategy. To date ESB operates in excess of 400 MW of wind generation in Ireland and the UK and target to more than double that capacity by 2018, with significant growth ambition beyond that again.