GreenHunter Wind Energy, LLC announced its first wind energy development project outside of the United States, located near Shanghai, China. When completed, the project will have the potential to generate up to 300 megawatts (MW) of power.
Under an exclusive five-year contract with Chinese manufacturer MingYang, GreenHunter has secured orders for turbines capable of generating approximately 1,000 MW of electricity once installed. This relationship ensures GreenHunter can quickly seize opportunities for additional wind projects in this fast-growing industry, according to the company. In 2008-2009, GreenHunter plans to purchase up to 108 MW of turbine capacity for new projects in the U.S.
GreenHunter's exclusive agreement with MingYang gives it preferential rights to purchase any turbines they export to North America between 2009 and 2012. MingYang is currently the only Chinese company permitted to export turbines to the U.S. and GreenHunter plans to import as many as 200 of them during the next several years.