GE Renewable Energy announced today that it has been selected by Holmen as the wind turbine supplier for the 143-MW Blåbergsliden wind farm, Sweden. The project, which will use 26 of GE’s Cypress onshore wind platform, represents GE’s second Cypress-equipped wind farm in Sweden.
Holmen is one of Sweden’s largest forest owners. The company produces wood and paper products in addition to sustainably managing its forest, according to the company. The wind farm will be located on land owned by Holmen.
“For Holmen, the establishment of large-scale wind power provides a logical complement to our hydro power. It’s also an effective way of obtaining added value from our forest ownership, and additional renewable electricity is positive for both Sweden and the climate,” says Henrik Sjölund, Holmen President and CEO.
The Blåbergsliden facility will increase Holmen’s production of renewable energy by 35% to over 1,600 GWh a year, said Homen.
“The European energy market is undergoing transition because of the issue of climate change. Politicians have determined that fossil-fuel generation in the EU should be phased out and replaced with renewable energy. As a large landowner, we have a unique opportunity to develop our own wind power projects. Now that wind power’s production costs have decreased considerably owing to technical developments, we believe we can obtain a good return by investing in wind power,” said Sjölund.
Peter Wells, GE’s CEO of onshore wind in Europe, commented: “The benefits of the Cypress platform make it the perfect fit for the Nordics region. That’s why we’re confident that this deal with Holmen can be one of many in the market.”
The deal with GE includes a 25-year O&M contract. Construction is expected to begin soon, and the project should be fully commissioned and operational by the end of 2021, according to GE.
Lead: Holmen’s Varsvik windfarm outside Hallstavik. Image credit: Jan Jansson, Teknomedia
