Nordex wins large wind order in Canadian province hit by renewables pause
Order comes amid anti-renewables crusade by state premier of oil & gas rich Alberta who opposes stricter federal climate policies
Nordex has won an order by Acciona Energia – the energy unit of its main shareholder Acciona – to supply 49 of its N155/5.X turbines in a cold climate version for the 280MW Forty Mile wind farm in the Canadian state of Alberta.
The order came as the province traditionally focussed on oil & gas exploration earlier this month had halted approvals for all new wind and solar farms until February next year, jeopardising billions of dollars of green investment.
“We are delighted to provide the technology to help support Canada’s ambitious climate change targets,” said Nordex chief sales officer Patxi Landa.
“With the cold climate version, our turbines ensure smooth operation even in the challenging weather conditions found in this region where temperatures can go below minus 30 degrees.”
She defended the half-year pause for renewables during which the province’s government is trying to figure out whether it can address issues of “reliability, affordability and siting, and reclamation.”
“We will have a new policy in six months.”
Alberta has long targeted by climate activists as home of Canada’s oil sands projects, which are among the most carbon-intensive in the world.
The province has done much to clean up its image in recent years, with a thriving wind and solar industry and carbon capture and storage initiatives helping Canada’s drive toward net zero.
In this context, the halt on new projects caused incredulity within the renewables industry in Alberta, which says it was completely blindsided by the government. Industry leaders have said this threatens billions of dollars of investment, much of which could now go to the US and EU.
Prior to Smith’s renewables pause, the Canadian Renewable Energy Association had forecast the addition of more than 5GW of wind capacity in the 2023 to 2025 period.
All turbines for the Forty Mile project will be cold climate versions and will be delivered with a rated capacity of 5.7MW and operated on 108-meter steel towers.