AVANTIS received order for 200 MW in Vietnam

Hong Kong, China - Turbine makers Avantis Energy received an order for 80 sets of its flagship turbine, the AV 928, from Hanoi-based company Thanh Tung Group.

The 2.5 MW machines will be installed in Mau Son, close to the Vietnamese-Chinese border, starting mid of 2010, and with 30-50 MW per year. The Mau Son project is the biggest wind farm project in the country so far. The turbines will be manufactured in nearby Beihai, China, where Avantis operates a Joint Venture with local partner Yinhe. A service station will be supplied close to the border. Aside from the turbine sales, Avantis has also signed a service agreement with the Thanh Tung Group, providing full service and maintenance for a period of 10 years. Avantis will also take care of the turnkey erection of the wind farm. The total project is valued with over 200 million Euro.

The Mau Son area lies in the hilly border region to China and is an important tourist area of Vietnam, inhabited mostly by local minorities. The Than Tung Group also operates hotels and resorts in this area; the group is otherwise active in real estate, renewables, breweries and industrial operations. Based on the present contracts, the group will also represent the Avantis group in Vietnam in the future. Being a direct drive turbine with a water-cooled permanent magnet generator and other water-cooled equipment, the 2.5 MW turbine is low on maintenance needs and therefore well suited for the remote border area. Its 92 m rotor has been designed to withstand class I storm loads, so that the turbine is prepared for the eventual typhoons in this area.

Avantis sees Vietnam as an important growth market for its Asia based factories. With diminishing generation from hydro and rising import costs for coal, the country is expected to come up with a fixed power price arrangement soon, including a substantial CDM portion. The Avantis group is also active in the US, Europe, Brazil and other areas. The company also features a 2.3 MW class III and a 3.75 MW class I wind turbine of similar design.

Source: IWR Online, 27 Nov 2009