First Wind gets $236 million for Hawaii’s largest wind farm deo

The largest wind farm in Hawaii, the 69-megawatt Kawailoa wind project on Oahu’s North Shore, got hold of $236 million in financing this week. United States wind energy company First Wind on Tuesday announced that a subsidiary closed a $220 million non-recourse construction and term loan and another $16 million in letters of credit for the Kawailoa project.

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Global capacity of ‘small wind’ at 440 MW by end of 2010

The total global capacity of small wind turbines stood at 440 megawatts during the end of 2010, states a new report from the World Wind Energy Association. Small wind turbines are defined as falling in the rated capacity range of 6 watts to 300 kilowatts. To date, around 330 manufacturers of such turbines have been identified in 40 countries. The total number of small wind turbines installed all over the world stood at around 656,000 units after the end of 2010, for a total generation capacity of over 382 gigawatt-hours.

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Japanese consortium to build floating wind farm in Fukushima

One year after a devastating magnitude-8.9 earthquake shook Japan and caused world's biggest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, a group of Japanese companies are building an experimental offshore wind farm near the tsunami-ravaged plant. Giant Japanese trading company Marubeni is leading the consortium which includes the University of Tokyo, Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, IHI Marine United, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, Nippon Steel, Hitachi, Furukawa Electric, Shimizu and Mizuho Information & Research.

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North America to see 125 gigawatts of wind power by 2017 – Pike

The increasing trend toward consolidation in the wind power industry, with major wind power technology manufacturers acquiring wind farm development companies as a strategy for ensuring the use of their turbines, will lead to the growth of the North American market, a research firm said. Current analysis by Pike Research projects that North America will see a surge in both onshore and offshore wind installations and reach 125 gigawatts by 2017, with $145 billion in investments.

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Foundation, other issues jacking up wind turbine technology research

Finding suitable sites for developing onshore wind farms will soon be difficult due to dense urbanization and the negative visual impact that wind farms could have on the surrounding environment. This, however, is opening up more opportunities for the offshore wind industry, according to a new report by Frost & Sullivan. In its research, market intelligence company Frost & Sullivan said increasing interest in offshore wind power is driving the development of new technologies, from the generators to wind turbine foundations.

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First Wind, RES Americas complete U.S. wind farms

Massachusetts-based wind energy company First Wind has completed its 35-megawatt wind project in Buffalo, New York, which will tap the winds of the Great Lakes region. The project is expected to generate enough clean energy to power around 9,000 New York homes and make its contribution in decreasing carbon dioxide emissions by over 23,000 tons annually, helping the state reach its goal of getting 30 percent of its energy from renewables by 2015.

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India’s Suzlon tones down year-long guidance

A strong order book was not enough to keep Suzlon Energy’s consolidated sales from declining in the third quarter, necessitating a change in the wind turbine giant’s guidance for the company’s current fiscal year 2011-2012. Suzlon’s third quarter revenues were at 49.85 billion rupees ($1 billion). Although this represented a 12 percent year-on-year growth, lower third quarter volumes had an effect.

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Vestas ‘disappointed’ with 2011 results due to unrealized plants

Wind power giant Vestas Wind Systems A.S. said last year’s financial results deviated significantly from what the company expected, as it continues to be more aggressive in the wind energy service category to achieve more profits. Calling 2011 “a tough year,” Vestas recalled that it had to abandon targets, issue profit warnings and lay off employees.

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E.U. wind rides on record R.E. growth in 2011; Uncertainties remain

New wind energy installations in Europe worth $16.74 billion remained strong last year, riding on an aggressive renewables drive according to the industry’s umbrella group, although concerns linger for this year onwards. The European Wind Energy Association said the continent installed 9,616 megawatts of new wind energy capacity in 2011, almost similar to the 9,648 MW raised in 2010.

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Broadwind Energy secures $23-million in wind tower orders in Q4

Illinois-based clean technology firm Broadwind Energy, Inc. won strong fourth-quarter orders which include a $23-million contract to deliver wind power towers to be produced at the company’s Manitowoc, Wisconsin facility, and to be supplied to a United States wind turbine manufacturer by the second half of 2012.

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