ACCIONA Windpower obtains approval from the BNDES for its 125-meter rotor diameter turbine

ACCIONA Windpower, an ACCIONA Group subsidiary that designs, manufactures and sells wind turbines, has obtained the FINAME accreditation from the National Bank of Economic and Social Development (BNDES) of Brazil for its new AW125/3000 model.

This means that the entire range of wind turbines that the company markets in the country has this qualification, which certifies the level of national supply of components required for customers to obtain special financing conditions offered by the BNDES.

The certification of the AW125/3000 model, a turbine with a 125-meter rotor diameter suitable for sites with low wind speeds (classes IEC IIIa and IIIb), means that it joins the AW116/3000 (the other model sold by the company in Brazil) with its rotor diameter of 116 meters designed for medium wind speeds (class IEC IIa).

Since it entered the Brazilian market in 2012, ACCIONA Windpower has signed contracts for the supply of 141 wind turbines of the AW3000 range, of which 90 correspond to the 116-meter model and 51 to the 125-meter version.

ACCIONA Windpower produces or purchases a large number of main components of its wind turbines in Brazil. It started the assembly of turbine hubs in its facility at Bahia in 2013, and in the second semester of this year will put a nacelle assembly plant into service. The company buys turbine blades, materials for the manufacturing of the concrete towers − which are built on site − and other equipment in Brazil.

A boost to the company's commercial strategy

"The certification of our full range of AW3000 wind turbines with the new FINAME standards represents a major boost to our position in the Brazilian market, in which we have a very competitive product that will surely have a good future", says ACCIONA Windpower Director in Brazil Christiano Forman.

The AW3000 models with the biggest rotor diameters are mounted on 100- and 120-meter high towers, and are achieving a high level of penetration in the Brazilian market thanks to their proven efficiency and adaptability to prevailing wind patterns in many parts of the country. This factor, together with the turbine cost of energy reduction program put into service by ACCIONA Windpower in 2013 − this will mean a reduction of 25% in 2014 − has helped the turbine to get an excellent reception from the market.

ACCIONA has already supplied 120 MW for the 'Atlántica' wind power project (owned by CPFL). It is now manufacturing 210 MW for two wind farms belonging to Voltalia, and signed a contract at the end of 2013 with the joint venture consisting of Voltalia, Chesf and Encalso to supply 93 MW. The company is currently negotiating contracts in Brazil totaling 363 MW.