Allete Clean Energy is planning to refurbish 385 turbines at three wind farms in Minnesota and Iowa.
The work will include replacing select blades, gearboxes and generators at the 104MW Lake Benton project in Minnesota and the 109MW and 79.5MW Storm Lake 1 and 2 wind farms in Iowa.
“The project will improve turbine performance and reliability, generate federal production tax credits at each site and support the renewal of power sale agreements at the Storm Lake sites,” Allete said.
The company added that the $80m refurbishment will be staged from 2017 through 2020 to “minimize turbine downtime and maximize safe energy production at each site”.
Allete will also install new communications infrastructure at the sites, including fiber optic connections, servers and data acquisition and management systems.
Electricity from Lake Benton is contracted through to 2028, and approximately 8MW of Storm Lake 1 production is contracted until 2032, the company said.
Allete said it is working to re-contract the balance of the Storm Lake 1 and 2 power sale agreements, which expire in 2019.
Allete president Allan Rudeck said: “As a central part of Allete Clean Energy’s multifaceted growth strategy, this $80m reinvestment will contribute to future earnings growth.”
Image: Pixabay
Allete plans Midwest makeover
$80m refurbishment of Lake Benton and Storm Lake 1 and 2 wind farms
By EBS