Siemens has received an order to supply, install and commission 50 onshore wind turbines in Norway.
The wind power plant Tellenes will produce clean energy equivalent to the annual consumption of 30,000 Norwegian households.
Google will use the renewable energy produced by the wind turbines to power data centers in Europe. The contract is for 12 years.
Siemens will supply direct drive turbine SWT- 3.2-113 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 3.2 megawatts and a rotor diameter of 113 meters, to be erected in Rogaland south of Stavanger in Norway.
Siemens will also be responsible for operating and servicing the wind turbines under a long-term agreement.
“Technology companies such as Google are increasingly covering their rising energy demands with clean wind power,” stated Thomas Richterich, CEO Onshore of Siemens Wind Power and Renewables Division. “We are proud to be part of this development with our direct drive technology. Tellenes will also be one of the largest onshore wind projects in Norway.”
Construction will start in July 2016, and the project is expected to be fully operational in late 2017.
The projects are developed by Zephyr and Norsk Vind Energi. Funds managed by BlackRock are providing equity financing for the project.
This cross-border arrangement is possible thanks to Europe’s increasingly integrated energy market, Siemens said. Especially the Scandinavian Nord Pool market allows Google to buy renewable energy with a Guarantee of Origin certified in Norway, and consume an equivalent amount of power elsewhere in Europe.
Rajani Baburajan