AC Energy Inc., the power unit of conglomerate Ayala Corp., and The Blue Circle signed a notice to proceed with General Electric Renewable Energy to use Cypress wind turbines in the second phase of the Mui Ne Wind Farm in Binh Thuan province, Vietnam.
The Mui Ne wind project is being built in phases and can accommodate up to 170 megawatts of capacity.
The eight turbines from GE Renewable Energy, with a unit capacity of 5 MW each for a total of 40 MW covering the second phase of the wind project, will carry the largest rotor diameter for an onshore project in Asia (158 meters) and will be the first to transport blades in two pieces before assembly on site.
“This latest addition to the Mui Ne project is a significant stride towards AC Energy’s 2025 goal of reaching five gigawatts [5,000 MW] of renewables capacity in the Philippines and around the region,” Patrice Clausse, chief operating officer of AC Energy International, said in a statement.
“We have strongly pushed for the adoption of new technologies and best practices to grow our assets in renewables with the continuous support to pursue innovation from partners like The Blue Circle,” he said.
Hervé Grillot, TBC chief construction officer, said the 5-MW turbine technology “is a game-changer for onshore sites as it will allow larger capacity machines, lowering our cost of energy and enhancing competitiveness of wind energy.”
TBC said despite the general suspension of master plan approvals in Vietnam related to the new Planning Law implementation, it succeeded in securing the land and grid connection for the expansion project.
“The Binh Thuan province is a very complex and challenging environment to implement a wind power project… We are now extending the Mui Ne Project with a second 40-MW phase to be commissioned in 2021,” said TBC chief executive Olivier Duguet.
The Mui Ne wind project site is one of the best wind resource areas in continental Vietnam. The project’s estimated cost is around $80 million, which will be financed by debt and equity.