BP has completed repowering its 300MW Fowler Ridge 1 wind farm in northwest Indiana.
Located in central Indiana, the project involved upgrading 40 of the 162 turbines, including the installation of 120 individual blades and 40 new nacelles, which house power generation equipment and transformers atop the wind towers.
The new Vestas machines are expected to produce up to 40% more energy.
They are estimated to generate an average of 314,000kwh each year, enough renewable electricity to potentially power around 27,000 homes.
The new technology produces energy more efficiently at lower wind speeds, creating more electricity from available wind resource.
Chairman and president of BP America Orlando Alvarez said: “This project is a substantial upgrade for the wind farm and another investment in BP’s low-carbon energy future.
“It shows BP’s strategy in action – contributing to a more secure, affordable and lower carbon energy mix while pursuing our net zero ambition.”
BP’s capital investment was around $100m. The project meets BP’s expected returns for renewables.
The company plans to recycle the decommissioned blades, keeping up to 3.3 million pounds of material from ending up in landfills.
The decommissioned blades are planned to be shredded and blended with raw materials to make cement products.