The 251 MW Eurus wind park in Oaxaca, Mexico, cost US$550 million to build, and uses 167 of ACCIONA Windpower wind turbines rated at 1.5 MW each. The facility was developed by ACCIONA for the cement company Cemex of Mexico.
The output of green power from the Eurus wind farm could avoid the annual emission of 600,000 tonnes of CO2. It is the second-largest in terms of emissions reduction registered under the Clean Development Mechanism of the United Nations Kyoto Protocol.
The installation of wind turbines in the wind farm began in July 2008, and they have been connected to the grid since February 2009. Following the completion of the assembly of the wind turbines, the entire facility will become operational over the next few weeks.
“The completion of the installation of the EURUS wind turbines indicates that Mexico has the conditions for private investments in electric power generation projects,” says Luis Farías of Cemex. “Thanks to a transparent regulatory framework made by the Mexican energy authorities and the Mexican state power generation companies, it was possible to develop the infrastructure and create the conditions necessary to develop the largest wind power generation project in Latin America.”
The wind farm will supply one-quarter of CEMEX's energy needs in its Mexican cement plants. ACCIONA financed, constructed and manages the wind farm.
The wind farm project created 850 direct jobs during construction and is generating an economic impact of 20 million pesos per year in the region.
ACCIONA Energy is involved in 15 countries and in 8 renewable energy technologies: wind, solar PV, solar thermal, concentrating solar power, biomass, hydro, biodiesel and bioethanol. It has a workforce of 2200 people.