- Siemens to supply and service 122 wind turbines for Western Plains Wind Farm project
- 280-MW onshore wind power project to be located in Ford County, Kansas
Siemens has been awarded an order from Westar Energy, Inc. to supply, support installation and provide service for 122 wind turbines for the Western Plains Wind Farm project to be located near Spearville, Kansas, approximately 100 miles west of Hutchinson. Installation of the wind turbines is scheduled to begin in early summer 2016, with the start of operations expected by early 2017. The service and maintenance provided by Siemens will include the company’s advanced remote monitoring and diagnostics.
The blades for this project will be manufactured at the Siemens blade facility in Fort Madison, Iowa. The nacelles will be assembled at the Siemens facility in Hutchinson, Kansas. Siemens’ 300,000 square-foot Hutchinson factory recently celebrated its five-year anniversary of nacelle production. To date, workers at the facility have produced more than 2,640 G2 nacelles, supporting wind power generation across the United States. Kansas is a national leader in wind power, with wind generating enough electricity to power nearly one million homes.
“We are proud that workers at our factories in Kansas and Iowa will produce the nacelles and blades for this project, supporting the development of reliable, sustainable and affordable power generation in Kansas. We welcome the opportunity to work with Westar Energy on this project, as wind power becomes an increasingly important part of America’s energy mix,” said Jacob Andersen, CEO Onshore Americas, Siemens Wind Power and Renewables Division.
The 280-MW project is expected to create enough clean energy to power approximately 100,000 average U.S. homes annually. The project will feature Siemens SWT-2.3-108 wind turbines, each with a power rating of 2.3 megawatts (MW) and 53 meter blades.
The Siemens SWT-2.3-108 wind turbines are part of the company’s G2 platform of onshore geared products – the workhorse of Siemens’-installed portfolio with rotor diameters optimized for all wind conditions. The G2 platform features highly-engineered, designed and manufactured components, exceptional reliability and low operational costs for an optimized return on investment.
With over 5,000 Siemens wind turbines installed in the U.S., capable of producing clean, renewable power for more than 2.5 million households every day, Siemens has made a significant commitment to wind energy in America.
For more information about Siemens Wind Power and Renewables, visit http://sie.ag/1CT76uh
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Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. With 348,000 employees in more than 200 countries, Siemens reported worldwide revenue of approximately $98 billion in fiscal 2014. Siemens in the USA reported revenue of $22.2 billion, including $5.2 billion in exports, and employs approximately 50,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Westar Energy, Inc. (NYSE: WR) is Kansas’ largest electric utility. For more than a century, we have provided Kansans the safe, reliable electricity needed to power their businesses and homes. Every day our team of professionals takes on projects to generate and deliver electricity, protect the environment and provide excellent service to our nearly 700,000 customers. Westar has 7,200 MW of electric generation capacity fueled by coal, uranium, natural gas, wind and landfill gas. We are also a leader in electric transmission in Kansas. Our innovative customer service programs include mobile-enabled customer care, a smart meter pilot project and paving the way for electric vehicle adoption. Our employees live, volunteer and work in the communities we serve.
