Wind Energy

Ex-Im Bank finances Gamesa wind turbines export to Honduras By Tom Gray

The Export-Import Bank of the U.S. (Ex-Im Bank) announced that it is providing financing for the export of 51 Gamesa 2-MW wind turbines to Honduras for that country’s first utility-scale wind farm.

The Cerro de Hula Wind Farm will provide about 6% of Honduras’s electricity.

"It’s a remarkable story when a Spanish company such as Gamesa invests in high-paying U.S. jobs in Pennsylvania and is then able to export wind turbines to customers in Central America," said Fred P. Hochberg, chairman and president of Ex-Im Bank, adding, "Renewable energy sources such as wind energy and solar power are increasingly important energy providers, and U.S. manufacturing is leading the way in these technologies. We are proud to support this innovative transaction."

The wind turbines will be manufactured at Gamesa’s Pennsylvania manufacturing facilities using generators supplied by ABB Power T & D Company, Inc., in Bland, Va.; blades by LM Wind Power, Inc., in Grand Forks, N.D., and associated equipment and services from other U.S. suppliers.

"The support we received from Ex-Im Bank became a critical factor in driving this wind power project to a successful conclusion," said Dirk Matthys, CEO of Gamesa North America. "Export projects are taking on a greater significance because they help support and sustain employment for our 800 Pennsylvania workers during difficult economic times."

By Tom Gray, www.awea.org/blog/