 |
Wind Prospect Goes Down Under
5 SEPTEMBER 2000
Wind Prospect Limited, the Cumbria based wind energy developer,
Danish developer/operator enXco, and Dallas-based developer
International Wind Corporation today announced the establishment
of an Australian joint venture company.
After 2 years of preparatory work, the new company, Wind Prospect
Pty Ltd (WPPL), already has lease options and licences for
up to 150 MW of potential capacity on the southern coast of
Australia.
WPPL is opening offices in Adelaide, a central location for
accessing the wind potential of South Australia, in early
September.
General Manager, Michael Vawser, said "We are very confident
that the new market, created by the Renewables Obligation
will bring about a windrush within the next two to three years.
We were right to enter the market early in 1999 because the
activity is now intense and there will be slim pickings for
the late arrivals."
Michael Vawser, himself a South Australian, relishes the opportunity
to return home to apply the experience he has gained from
working on Wind Prospect's wind energy developments in the
British Isles.
He added "The combination in WPPL of local knowledge and the
international experience and expertise of the partner companies
provides the best possible basis for developing our large
portfolio of projects. "
Ends
(back to top)
Notes For Editors
Wind Prospect Ltd is the UK's foremost independent developer
of wind energy projects.
Founded in 1995, it has to date developed and/or constructed
some eight wind farms in the UK and one in the Republic of
Ireland.
It operates 5 of these wind farms and is currently acting
as project manager for PowerGen Renewables' 15 MW Tursillagh
project in Ireland.
EnXco was founded in 1987 and is owned by Danish investment
institutions and its senior management.
enXco operates and maintains more than 4,400 wind turbines
worldwide which are primarily located in California and is
today one of the leading developers and service providers
to wind turbines in the U.S. enXco is owner or partial owner
of 1,252 wind turbines with a capacity of approximately 209
MW.
(back to top)
It is additionally participating in a series of new developments
in the U.S., Germany, Turkey and the UK, with a subsidiary
company in Germany, a 50/50 joint-venture in England (Cumbria
Wind Farms) and a 50/50 joint-venture partnership in India.
Together, these projects are to generate some 300 MW.International
Wind (IWC), based in Texas, was formed in 1991.
(back to top)
Through project specific alliances with industry partners
and investors, IWC has equity interests in a wind energy portfolio
totalling 140 MW including; three projects totalling 90 MW
in California, four projects in England totalling 26 MW and
a new 24 MW project under construction in Costa Rica. IWC
plays an active day to day management and operational role
in all of these projects which, combined, produce 250,000
MWh per year.
In the period that Wind Prospect has been exploring the market
down under, national greenhouse policies have veered away
from no-regrets conservatism to embrace the technologies of
the future.
(back to top)
Currently on its way through parliament is legislation for
a 2% Renewables Obligation, where all suppliers and large
consumers of electricity must source 2% of their electricity
from new renewable energy generators by the year 2010.
There are now strong indications that both the federal and
state governments have underestimated Australia's wind energy
resource, as well as the global momentum of the wind energy
industry.
They may find that the 2% Renewables Obligation could be met
well before 2010 with wind farm proposals alone. For
Further Information
Contact:
UK
Euan Cameron on +44 (0)1900 898101 euan@windprospect.com
Australia
Michael Vawser on +61 (0)8 832 39323 michael@windprospect.com.au
(back to top)
|
