The turbines will be delivered to Alba de Nicaragua, developers of the 39.6 MW Alba Rivas wind power plant, which will be located in Hacienda La Fe, Rivas, Nicaragua.

“We are pleased to have selected Vestas as supplier for our first wind farm in Nicaragua. We trust that Vestas will deliver the best solutions with high-quality service and professionalism,” says Francisco Lopez, chief executive of Alba de Nicaragua.

Delivery of the first turbines is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2012 and the project is expected to be commercially operational during the second quarter of 2013.

Marcelo Tokman Ramos, Vice President of Vestas South America said: “We are very satisfied with this new order, which confirms the continuous positive trend of wind power development in Nicaragua. It is very important for us to have been selected as the technology supplier for Alba De Nicaragua’s first wind project and also considering their future portfolio, we are looking very much forward to a long-lasting collaboration between the two companies.”

Albas Rivas is the second Nicaraguan project to be supplied by Vestas. In September 2011 the company received an order for a total of 39.6 MW turbine capacity for the La Fé – San Martin Wind Farm also in Nicaragua, which is expected to be connected to the grid in June 2012. The plants will produce approximately 180 GWh per year.
Both projects mark the Danish firm’s efforts to increase its presence in the growing Latin American market.

Juan Araluce, chief sales officer of Vestas Wind Systems, said: “Vestas is focused on developing new business opportunities in the Latin American markets and this project is a good example of this goal. Our commitment with the expansion of the wind energy industry will bring a clean, competitive and predictable energy source into the Nicaraguan energy mix while contributing to the development of local quality employment and competencies.”