SALZBERGEN, GERMANY (October 31, 2003) -- GE Wind Energy, a unit of GE Power Systems, has supplied four 1.5-megawatt wind turbines for Wind Farm Gembloux - Sombreffe in Belgium. The new six-megawatt wind project, located in the Gembloux region near Namur, Belgium, entered operation this week and is providing power for the Belgian grid.
This marks GE Wind Energy's second project in Belgium, where interest in wind power continues to grow. According to a report from the Danish consulting firm BTM Consult, Belgium's wind-generated electricity is expected to increase from its level of 45 megawatts at the end of 2002 to 335 megawatts by 2007. Last year, the Belgian national and the Flemish and Wallonian regional governments introduced a "green certificate" program that encourages the development of renewable energy sources.
"Wind energy is still an emerging sector in Belgium," said Luc Regout, managing director of Air Energy which owns the project along with Electrabel. "Wallonia has learned from the experience of its neighboring countries like The Netherlands and Germany, and intends to catch up quickly with the European renewable energy objectives. The entities of Gembloux and Sombreffe have welcomed the third wind farm of Wallonia, bringing the total number of installed wind turbines in Wallonia to 16 units."
The scope of GE Wind Energy's contract included the supply of the turbines and transformers, and erection and commissioning of the four units. Tractebel of Belgium supervised the project construction.
GE's 1.5-megawatt machines are among the most widely sold and installed wind turbines in the megawatt class. Today, more than 1,700 of these units are operating around the world.
Air Energy specializes in the development and operation of power production plants based on renewable energy, primarily wind power. Electrabel is the largest power company in Belgium, with renewable energy sources now forming an integral part of its product range.
GE Wind Energy is one of the world's leading wind power companies. With design, manufacturing and/or assembly facilities located in Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, China and the United States, the company's current product portfolio includes wind turbines with rated outputs from 900 to 3,600 kilowatts, and support services ranging from project development assistance to operation and maintenance. The company's knowledge base includes the development and/or installation of more than 6,100 wind turbines with a rated capacity exceeding 3,900 megawatts. GE Wind Energy employs more than 1,700 people worldwide.
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