Dong Energy and Siemens Energy have signed a framework agreement for the supply and servicing of wind turbines totaling 1.8GW in capacity.
The deal covers 300 Siemens 6MW wind turbines planned for installation at Dong Energy's offshore wind farms in the UK in the period 2014-2017. The newly developed 6MW direct drive machine has a 154m rotor – the blades are the world's longest to date at 75m.
"The agreement will enable Dong Energy to install a significantly larger turbine from 2014 compared to the turbines, we know today," says Dong's acting CEO, Carsten Krogsgaard Thomsen.
Under the agreement, Siemens Energy will design, manufacture, supply, install and service the 6MW offshore wind turbines. The partners have agreed on product and performance warranties reflecting the size ?of the agreement, while Dong has committed to paying a cancellation fee should any of the projects covered not proceed as planned – this is a risk for Dong as all projects covered are still subject to official consent approvals coming through and to the company reaching positive investment decisions them.
Dong and Siemens have long work together, having signed another 1.8GW supply agreement (for 500 Siemens 3.6MW machines) back in 2009. They are working together on around 2GW of offshore wind farms currently under construction including Lincs, London Array and West of Duddon Sands in the UK, Borkum ?Riffgrund 1 in Germany and Anholt offshore wind farm in Denmark. Moreover, Dong already announced that it will install two of the new 6MW wind turbines later this year for testing at Gunfleet Sands offshore wind farm.
