Chinese turbine maker Goldwind wins two new US deals

Each order is for five 1.5 megawatt (MW) direct-drive permanent magnetic wind turbines, which will be installed in two wind farms funded by American companies.

Despite surging growth of annual output in recent years China exported just 13 wind turbines, totaling 15.55MW, last year. Exports are, however, becoming a strategic objective for Chinese wind turbine makers as they compete to take up a larger share of the world market.

In early 2010, three Goldwind 1.5MW wind turbines at UILK Wind Farm, Pipestone, Minnesota were integrated into the grid. It was the company's first wind farm project in the United States, and also its first MW-level overseas wind farm project.

In December 2010, Goldwind USA won a competitive bid to provide power from its wholly-owned Shady Oaks project to utility Commonwealth Edison from June 2012 over a term of 20 years.

The 109MW Shady Oaks project is the first large US wind farm to use Chinese-made turbines. Construction of the Shady Oaks project is expected to be completed by the end of 2011.

Goldwind is the world's largest maker of direct-drive permanent magnetic wind turbines and has about 3,500 such turbines installed and integrated with China's grid.