Danish wind turbine maker Vestas has progressed its Latin America presence by winning a 40MW order in Nicaragua and beginning the construction of its fully-owned 100MW wind project in Chile, which is set to be the country's largest.
The company has received an order for a total of 39.6MW, consisting of 22 units of the V90-1.8MW platform for the wind project, La Fé - San Martin in Nicaragua.
The order has been placed by Blue Power & Energy and delivery of the first turbines is expected to start in 2011, the company said.
In Chile, Vestas has acquired full ownership of Talinay Oriente from a local developer.
It said this was a strategic decision to increasing the share of renewable energy sources used to cover Vestas' energy consumption worldwide and in the countries where Vestas operates, while contributing to reducing the carbon footprint.
Juan Araluce, president of Vestas Mediterranean, said, 'Since we took the decision to develop Talinay Oriente, we have already received acquisition offers from several local and international companies interested in this exciting project, which will play an important role in Chile's future energy mix.
'We are pleased with the interest created around this project. In case of any potential future sale of the project, Vestas will continue evaluating other investment options to support the achievement of our internal renewable energy targets.'
Vestas has been active in Latin America for the past two decades and in July 2010 it opened a sales and operation office in Chile.