The Blue Circle and AC Energy have ordered the first GE 5MW-158 from General Electric (GE) for the second phase of the Mui Ne project in South Vietnam
The Blue Circle and its partner AC Energy, the power generation arm of Philippine conglomerate Ayala Corporation, have signed Asia’s first Notice to Proceed with General Electric Renewable Energy (GE Renewable Energy) for its new Cypress platform wind turbines.
“The Blue Circle and its partner AC Energy are one of the premier renewable energy companies in the Asia Pacific, and we are thrilled they’ve selected our brand-new Cypress platform turbines. GE remains deeply committed to Vietnam’s energy future – our 5MW Cypress turbines are ideally suited to make the best use of the Vietnam’s tremendous wind energy potential,” said Deepak Maloo, regional sales leader of GE Onshore Wind.
The eight turbines with a unit capacity of 5MW for a total of 40MW will carry the largest rotor diameter for an onshore project in Asia (158 meters) and will be the first to transport blades in two pieces before assembly on site.
“This technology is a game-changer for onshore sites as it will allow larger capacity machines, lowering our cost of energy and enhancing competitiveness of wind energy,” said Hervé Grillot, chief construction officer of The Blue Circle.
Despite the general suspension of master plan approvals in Vietnam related to the new Planning Law implementation, The Blue Circle has succeeded in securing the land and grid connection for the Project in a difficult context.
“The Binh Thuan province is a very complex and challenging environment to implement a wind power project,” explains Olivier Duguet, Chief Executive Officer of The Blue Circle. He adds, “We are now extending the Mui Ne Project with a second 40MW phase to be commissioned in 2021.”
The Mui Ne Wind Project site has a total expansion potential of up to 170MW in one of the best wind resource areas in continental Vietnam. The Project’s estimated cost is around US$80M, which will be financed by debt and equity, and is planning to qualify for the wind feed-in-tariff of 8.5 US cents per kWh.
“This latest addition to the Mui Ne Project is a significant stride towards AC Energy’s 2025 goal of reaching 5GW of renewables capacity in the Philippines and around the region,” said Patrice Clausse, chief operating officer of AC Energy International. “We have strongly pushed for the adoption of new technologies and best practices to grow our assets in renewables with the continuous support to pursue innovation from partners like The Blue Circle,” he added.