A report issued by the Washington-based American Wind Energy Association indicates that 1999 was a banner year for the alternative energy source the group backs. More than 3,600 megawatts of new wind energy generating capacity were installed worldwide, the largest addition in a single year. The past year brought the world's total wind energy capacity to 13,400 MW, according to the AWEA, the national trade association of the wind energy industry, which includes turbine manufacturers, wind project developers, utilities, and academicians.

Wind turbines are becoming more common in the United States, Denmark, Germany and Spain.

The latest wind power increase was partly fueled by the resurgence of the U.S. market. From mid-1998 to the end of 1999, some 925 MW of new capacity were installed, more than twice the 442 MW added in 1985, the previous record year for American wind power.

The United States, Germany, Denmark, and Spain account for about 80 percent of the added capacity, and for more than 70 percent of current wind energy generating capacity worldwide. The Spanish province of Navarra derives over 20 percent of its electricity from wind turbines, and Germany's Schleswig-Holstein province obtains in excess of 15 percent of its electricity from wind power. Denmark uses wind turbines to supply 10 percent of its national electrical needs.

Michael Valenti

Vericor Power Systems is supplying a Reno, Nev., utility with a turn-key cogeneration package built around a 3.1-megawatt ASE40 gas turbine equipped with a heat recovery steam generator. Vericor Power Systems, based in Alpharetta, Ga., is a joint company of AlliedSignal of Phoenix and MTU in Munich, Germany, and specializes in designing and building gas turbine power packages whose outputs range from 0.5 to 15 MW.

The ASE40 gas turbine will supply both electricity and steam to a printing plant in Reno, Nev.

The customer is Quantum Dynamics Group Inc., a private gas and power utility that developed the $5 million project that will use the turbine.

The ASE40 is capable of generating up to 4,372 kilowatts of electricity when fueled by natural gas. The turbine's exhaust temperature is 1,115°F, flowing at 28.1 pounds per second. When the cogeneration plant begins operating in August, it will burn natural gas to produce electricity, and direct its exhaust to a heat recovery steam generator to produce steam.

Both electricity and steam will be sold to Quebecor Printing Nevada Inc. under terms of a power purchase contract. The printing company is a division of Quebecor World Inc. of Quebec City.

Michael Valenti

Return to Index