Wind Energy News Archives 1998
New
Pages on this Web Site
Read about wind
turbine controllers and on controlling
power quality form wind turbines. We have also included a
new page with a bibliography
in the Reference Manual. This
page will be updated further in the coming months. Finally, we
have added a page on the COP4 conference, updated the Glossary,
and added a number of new photographs to the illustrations in
the Guided Tour on Wind Energy.
(14 December 1998)
www.windpower.org
Wins Links2go Key Resource Award
This web site has received a Key resource Award from
the Links2go search engine.
For each topic, Links2Go selects at most 50 of the most representative
links. These are the "Key Resources" for the topic,
in our case we are a key resource in both the "Energy"
and the "Wind" topic. In addition, each page can qualify
for at most one Key Resource Award. We won an award for the category
"Energy".
(23 November 1998)
Vestas
Receives Orders for 67 MW from the U.S.
Vestas Wind Systems
A/S will be delivering two orders for 10 and 12 MW for Minnesota,
and another order of 45 MW for California in 1999.
(6 November 1998)
NEG
Micon Sells Wind Turbines for Another 100 Million USD to the
U.S. in 1999
NEG Micon A/S has contracted an order of 75 MW for the South
West Mesa Project in Texas for Florida Power and light. In addition
NEG Micon will deliver 45 MW to a Sea West project in Palm Springs.
Finally, the company will deliver 11 MW to Lakota LLC in Minnesota
for Northern Alternative Energy. All of these orders are to be
completed in 1999, and most of the production will take place
in the company's new U.S. manufacturing facilities.
(5 November 1998)
NEG
Micon acquires NedWind
Danish manufacturer NEG Micon
A/S has acquired NedWind bv of the Netherlands. The negotiations
are finalised and NEG Micon acquired the activities in NedWind
bv as of 1 October 1998.
In
an announcement to Copenhagen Stock Exchange NEG Micon President
Jens-Erik Kristensen states, that NedWind will continue as an
independent company, which will cover NEG Micon's activities
in the Benelux, The Caribbean and a few other markets in the
future.
The
production in NedWind will continue, but with a change to NEG
Micon products.
(29 September 1998)
NEG
Micon acquires Wind World
The Danish wind turbine manufacturers NEG Micon A/S and Wind
World af 1997 A/S have agreed that NEG Micon takes over the share
capital in Wind World. Wind World will continue as a separate
company with its own product programme and will continue to be
based in Northern Jutland. Wind World has 100 employees, and
an expected turnover of some 55 million USD in 1998.
(26 August 1997)
New
Norwegian Wind Park Online
Wind World A/S has installed a new wind park consisting of five
750 kW wind turbines at Mandal in Southern Norway.
Norway
has a very small installed base of wind power, but the market
is expected to expand significantly. Norway is looking for new
sources of electrical energy, as the possibilities of extending
the hydroelectric system are very small. Years of drought have
proved that the Norwegian hydroelectric system is very dependent
on backup power form Danish coal fired power plant.
(20 July 1998)
New
Manufacturing Facilities in North America
NEG Micon USA Inc. is opening two North American manufacturing
plants, one in Champaign, Illinois, and the other in Boucherville,
Québec, Canada. NEG Micon USA Inc. is a 100% subsidiary
of the Danish wind turbine manufacturer NEG Micon. NEG Micon
will retain its headquarters for North American operations in
Chicago, Illinois, and its sales and service offices in California,
Québec and Virginia.
NEG
Micon's current order book in North America is valued at more
than 175 million USD, and a nameplate capacity of over 200 megawatt
(more than 280 wind turbines).
(16 July 1998)
Another
Two Contracts to Danish Manufacturer
Danish Manufacturer NEG Micon A/S signs contracts with ESI Energy
Inc. and WindCo. for 98 MW. The ESI Energy Inc. project is 42
MW wind power at the price of DKK 220 million (USD 31 million).
The
order given by ESI Energy Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of
Florida Power & Light Energy Inc., consists of 56 NM 750/48
wind turbines. The wind turbines will be installed in Ventura
Heights, Iowa. Delivery is planned to start early November 1998
through April 1999.
The
second order is from WindCo, a joint venture between Florida
Power & Light Inc., UK company Renewable Energy Systems Ltd.,
and M&N Wind Power of Japan consists of 80 NM 700/44 kW wind
turbines. The turbines will be erected near Tehachapi, California.
The contract price is DKK 290 million (USD 41 million). Delivery
starts August 1998 through November 1999.
(9 July 1998)
Danish
Shipyard Focuses on Windpower
Danish Shipyard, Ørskov Staalskibsværft wants to
build and paint wind turbine towers. According to Danish business
magazine, Børsen the shipyard's sales manager Jeppe Ørskov
is right now on a round trip to the Danish wind turbine manufacturers
trying to convince them, that a future co-operation will be of
mutual benefit.
Managing
director Jannik Falkenberg, Wind World says that he could very
well imagine that shipyards could deliver part of the their future
2,5 MW wind turbine.
Especially
the Danish 4000 MW offshore windpower plan has sharpened the
interest of the shipyards.
(7 July 1998)
Vestas
Joint Venture Expands
Gamesa Eolica, a Vestas joint
venture company expands rapidly. In June 1998 the Spanish joint
venture received its first larger export orders. Gamesa Eolica
will deliver turbines to Mexico and China for ESP 5 billion (USD
35 million).
The
orders indicates the beginning of a new era for the company and
is the result of a international strategy. According to the Spanish
newspaper, Cinco Dias the manufacturer are also working on projects
in Brazil, Morocco, and Egypt.
Vestas
Wind Systems owns 40 per cent of Gamesa Eolica, and the company
is using Danish wind turbine technology. Expected turnover according
to Cinco Dias for fiscal year 1998 is ESP 25 billion (USD 174
billion).
(30 June 1998)
Mega
Orders for Nordex Balcke-Dürr
Danish/German manufacturer Nordex
Balcke-Dürr has been selected to supply 61 megawatts
of wind turbines for two large wind park projects in the northern
part of Germany. The orders amount to approximately 41 mill.
USD. With the new orders the total order book of Nordex Balcke-Dürr
reaches 115 million USD, says Managing Director Carsten Pedersen.
Nordex
will deliver 25 units of the N54/1000 kW wind turbine to a project
developed by the German company Energiekontor EK. The turbines
will be erected in a wind park nearby Bremerhaven.
Another
project developed by the German company Plambeck ContraCon. Nordex
will initially deliver 16 units of the N60/1300 kW turbine. This
wind park is to be located nearby Cuxhaven, also in the northern
part of Germany. Nordex has signed an agreement with Plambeck
ContraCon for future delivery of another 20 units of the N60/1300
kW turbine.
(22 June 1998)
NEG
Micon Prepares Takeover of NedWind
NEG Micon A/S and NedWind B.V., the major supplier of wind turbines
in the Netherlands, have signed a letter of intent with the aim
of NEG Micon taking over NedWind B.V.
This
step is the latest of a series of take-overs by Danish NEG Micon.
The aim is to consolidate NEG Micon's activities on all main
markets, and the acquisition is part of the company's globalisation
strategy.
NedWind
B.V. which has about 100 employees, is one of the leading suppliers
of wind turbines to the Dutch as well as to the Caribbean and
Chinese market. The company has a market share of 25% in the
Netherlands and a global market share of approx. 3%.
(22 June 1998)
NEG
Micon Expands Share Capital
NEG Micon has announced that it is expanding its capital base
by selling new shares from 6 to 20 May. The company expects to
get 155 million DKK (23 million USD) from the issue. Existing
shareholders have the right to buy one new share for every six
they own, at a price of 400 DKK per share. NEG Micon shares are
currently traded around 745 DKK per share.
(20 April 1997)
No
More Small Bids for Vestas
Aros Securities, which manages the Vestas flotation closed for
bids below 2 million DKK (300,000 USD) on the first day of sales,
after a dramatic oversubscription from large investors, according
to press reports. The share issue will be the largest this year
on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange.
(20 April 1997)
World
Market Growth Continues
Global megawatt (MW) installed capacity increased by 26 per cent
to a total of 7,636 MW by end 1997, says newly released World
Market Update from BTM Consult. In 1997 a total of 1,566 MW new
capacity was sold, an increase of 21 per cent over 1996.
According
to this forecast, the boost will continue in the years to come.
The five year forecast predicts some 12,600 MW of new installation
in the period 1998 through 2002. This forecast represents a cumulative
sales value - 5 years ahead - of 12 billion USD (1997 price level).
The
report is available from BTM Consult
ApS for USD 210.
(17 April 1997)
Vestas
Opens for Bids
Danish wind turbine manufacturer, Vestas
Wind Systems A/S has opened its public offering of company
shares.
A
total of 4,765,700 shares are on offer, with an option to increase
the offer to 5,242,270 shares. This means that between 41.5 and
56.1 per cent of the stock will be traded publicly. The shares
are being sold by a holding company representing international
investors (primarily Dutch). The price range is set from DKK
220 to 270 per share. The offer period, during which investors
are invited to subscribe for shares opened on 16 April 1998 and
closes on or before 28 April 1998. The shares will be listed
on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange from 30 April 1998.
(17 April 1997)
NEG
Micon Announces Takeover of Wind Energy Group and Taywood Aerolaminates
The wind turbine manufacturer NEG Micon announces
that the takeover of the two British companies has been formalised
today.
The
Wind Energy Group will continue primarily as a sales and service
company covering all NEG Micon activities in the UK.
Taywood
Aerolaminates will be NEG Micon's future technology centre for
the development and manufacture of rotor blades. (See the news
item for 9 March, below.)
(27 March 1998)
Vestas
Goes Public in May
The world's largest wind turbine manufacturer, Vestas Wind Systems
A/S is applying for a quotation on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange.
The introduction on the stock exchange is likely to take place
in May, and may be the largest on the exchange this year.
Vestas'
share of the world market for wind turbines is around 25 per
cent.
Vestas'
annual accounts for 1997 show a turnover of USD 280 million,
and ordinary profits of USD 18 million. Vestas, however, is making
provisions of 21 million against any potential losses in its
Indian joint venture Vestas RRB India Ltd., which has a stock
of unsold turbines due to dramatic interest rate increases. The
result is a net loss of USD 3 million.
-
We have waited for an improvement [in India] for some time, and
decided to clean the slate now. But if the Indian market takes
off again, part of our provision will become superfluous, says
Bent Carlsen, Chairman of the Vestas Board of Directors. - But
we continue our activities in India, so any surprises can only
be positive.
(24 March 1998)
www.windpower.org
Nominated for
"Golden @ Award"
This web
site was nominated for a "Golden @ Award" for its content
in the competition between 370 professional Danish web sites
in March, 1998.
(19 March 1998)
NEG
Micon Reveals First Annual Accounts Since Merger
Newly merged NEG Micon today presented its accounts for its first
nine months (April - December 1997). Turnover for the period
was USD 220 million and profits were USD 4.3 million. Managing
director Jens-Erik Kristensen expects further growth in 1998.
NEG Micon currently has a share
of 20 per cent of the world market for wind turbines.
(18 March 1998)
Repowering
California
On the North American continent the repowering of older wind
parks in California with modern technology will be a market for
sale of wind turbines in the years to come. In 1997 NEG Micon
embarked on two such repowering projects in California. 750 old
turbines will be replaced with some 100 modern 750 kW NEG Micon
wind turbine generators within the next two years. NEG Micon
together with some partner companies has bought a number of Californian
wind parks with a view to refurbishment and / or repowering.
(18 March 1998)
Largest
in the Southern Hemisphere: New Zealand
48 wind turbines of 660 kW each will go online in Tararoa in
the southern part of the North Island of New Zealand during the
next year. The value of the project is USD 25 million. The wind
park will be the largest in the southern hemisphere, and supply
the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of more
than 25,000 households.
The
project is not subsidised by the government funds, says Tom Petersen
of Vestas Wind Systems A/S. Wind speeds in the area are in the
vicinity of 11 m/s, so annual production will be almost twice
as large as on typical European sites. The Vestas 660 kW machine
has a large 47 m rotor diameter, but it can be used even in high
wind areas, if turbulence is low.
(18 March 1998)
Breakthrough
in Italy
Vestas has signed contracts in Italy for 56 wind turbines worth
USD 27 million. The largest order of 38 600 kW wind turbines
was made by Italian Vento Power Corp. The turbines will be erected
in a mountain area in the southern Italy near Naples.
(18 March 1998)
An
Apple a Day
This web site was featured
as a cool apple
by the Ambrosia Cafe, a web site that describes itself
as home to many disparate sites that share a common thread: the
Macintosh and a commitment to excellence. We never applied for
the honour, but we're happy that we've been discovered.
(12 March 1998)
NEG
Micon on the Acquisition Trail
Danish NEG Micon, the World's second largest wind
turbine manufacturer has announced that it has entered talks
with the British construction group Taylor Woodrow with a view
to purchase its wind energy business.
The
activities are concentrated in two firms, the Wind Energy Group,
WEG, based in London with some 45 employees designing wind turbines,
and Taywood Aerolaminates of Southampton with some 65 employees
manufacturing rotor blades. WEG is known for its flexible design
methods, while Taywood Aerolaminates is known for its wood-epoxy
technology used in blade manufacturing. NEG Micon has developed
the blades for its 1.5 MW 68 m rotor diameter machine together
with Taywood Laminates.
NEG
Micon has subsequently announced that it has entered talks with
the owners of DAN CONTROL
Engineering A/S with a view to a takeover. The company manufactures
wind turbine controllers, and has been teamed up with the Nordtank
Energy Group (now part of NEG Micon) for a number of years, supplying
controllers to all Nordtank turbines.
(9 March 1998)
Vestas
may go Public
Rumours in the Danish financial press indicate that
the world's largest wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems
A/S may be on its way to a public share offer as part of seeking
a quotation on the Danish stock exchange.
The
company has refused to comment on the rumours. The company's
annual general assembly is due to take place in late March.
(8 March 1998)
33%
growth of the Danish Wind Turbine Industry in 1997
(7 February 1998)
Old
News
See our Wind Energy News Archives
1998
See our Wind Energy News Archives 1997
© Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000 Danish Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association
Updated 30 May 2001
http://www.windpower.org/news/archive2.htm