MHI Wins 443 Wind Turbine Bulk Order for Babcock & Brown U.S. Wind Farm Projects
Tokyo, Japan, June. 08, 2006 - - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI; TSE: 7011) has received a bulk order for 443 large-size wind turbines from Babcock & Brown, one of the largest developers and owners of wind power in the U.S., for its four new projects involving large-scale wind power generation. As each MWT 62/1.0* (MWT-1000A) ordered has a rated power output of 1.0 MW (megawatt), the total output of the wind turbines on order reaches 443 MW. The order marks the largest MHI has ever received, and brings the company's aggregated wind turbine orders to date to 2,626 units (1,843 MW).
The order was placed through Mitsubishi Power Systems (MPS), a U.S. subsidiary of MHI located in Orlando, Florida. The numbers of wind turbine units to be delivered to the four wind power generation projects are as follows: the Buena Vista project in northern California will utilize 38 units (38 MW), to go onstream by the end of 2006; the Argonne Mesa project in New Mexico will use 90 units (90 MW), with operations to commence by the end of 2006; the Sweetwater #4 and 5 expansion project in Texas will receive 135 units (135 MW), for startup by fall 2007; and a wind farm project in Colorado will take 180 units (180 MW), to go operational by the end of 2007.
For all four projects, the wind turbines (nacelles) will be manufactured at MHI's Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works. MPS will procure wind turbine towers, supply blades, provide installation support, undertake the wind turbine commissioning, and handle maintenance for a period of five years.
The MWT 62/1.0, MHI's best selling wind turbine, is one of the most efficient wind turbines in the world in the 1 MW category, capable of generating power even at relatively low wind speeds thanks to its optimized blade structure and redesigned blade shape. With these improvements, in an environment where the annual wind speed averages 6 meters per second the MWT 62/1.0 can achieve 20% higher annual energy production (380 MWh/year) than with MHI's conventional 1 MW wind turbines (MWT 57/1.0 or MWT-1000). This excellent performance, together with MHI's technological reliability, contributed to the company's winning of the latest order.
Since delivering its first unit in 1980, MHI has engaged in the development, manufacture and marketing of wind turbines for more than a quarter century, and in the process it has established its position as Japan's largest wind turbine manufacturer. Through the years, the company has continuously developed, manufactured and marketed high-performance and economical large-size wind turbines meeting the operational demands peculiar to Japan, such as typhoons, frequent lightning strikes, and variations in wind direction and speed. With the added momentum to come from the latest bulk order, MHI now aims to further strengthen its wind turbine development and sales activities.
*MWT62/1.0MWT: Mitsubishi Wind Turbine
62: 62 meters in rotor diameter
1.0: rated power output of 1.0 MW
About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. ('MHI'; TSE: 7011), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world's leading heavy machinery manufacturers, with consolidated sales of 2,792 billion yen in fiscal 2005 (year ended March 31, 2006). MHI's diverse lineup of products and services encompasses shipbuilding, steel structures, power plants, chemical plants, environmental equipment, industrial and general machinery, aircraft, space rocketry and air-conditioning systems. For more information, please visit the MHI website at www.mhi.co.jp.
For further information, please visit the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. home page at: www.mhi.co.jp/indexe.html
About Babcock & Brown
Babcock & Brown Power Operating Partners, together with other Babcock & Brown affiliates, is one of the largest developers, investors, and operators of wind power projects in the U.S. and globally. Babcock & Brown operates from 21 offices across Australia, the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and has in excess of 740 employees worldwide. Babcock & Brown has five operating divisions, including real estate, infrastructure and project finance, operating leasing, structured finance and corporate finance. The company has established a number of focused investment vehicles in areas including renewable power projects, real estate and infrastructure. The company has established a funds management platform across the operating divisions that has resulted in the creation of a number of focused investment vehicles in areas including real estate, renewable energy and infrastructure. For more information, please visit www.babcockbrown.com.
Contact
Hideo Ikuno
h.ikuno@daiya-pr.co.jp
Tel: +813-6716-5277,
Fax: +813-6716-5929
Daiya PR for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
June. 08, 2006, 19:38 (JST)
Source: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (TSE: 7011) (U.S.: MHVYF)
www.mhi.co.jp/indexe.html
Babcock & Brown (U.S.: BBNLF)
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Topic: Contract Awarded
Sectors: Alternative Energy, Energy, Environmental, Manufacturing, Trade & Commerce
