Announcing the launch of a turbine designed specifically for the Brazilian market, the American giant said it plans to install more than 600 units in Brazil over the next two years as it expands its presence in the region.

GE will also open two local service centers by 2014, representing a $1.5mn investment. The service centers - in Rio Grande do Norte and Bahia - will employ more than 100 service technicians.

The 1.85-82.5 turbine unveiled at the event is based on GE’s 1.5MW platform and is designed to cope with Brazil’s high wind speeds. Part of its $2 billion investment in renewable energy, it is “designed to meet or exceed the historic 98.5 percent availability of the 1.5MW platform and help improve project economics in higher wind regime sites by requiring fewer turbines per wind farm”, the firm said.

Written by Robin Whitlock