Suzlon bags $1.28-bn order from Caparo

Wind energy turbine maker Suzlon has bagged an order from Caparo Energy India to set up wind turbines to develop 1,000-Mw power projects by March 2013. The total deal value is estimated at $1.28 billion. Around 500 Mw of the capacity is expected to be commissioned progressively by March 2012, Suzlon said.

“This has been a strong year for wind in the Indian power market. With large players like Caparo entering the market, we also see large wind IPPs in India becoming a major force, in addition to the strong captive and small-size segment. We are also seeing growing interest of overseas investors to deploy funds through the IPP route,” said Suzlon chairman and managing director, Tulsi R Tanti. As of September, 2010, Suzlon’s order book (Suzlon and its subsidiary REpower) stood at $5.4 billion (about Rs 24,000 crore). The orders were for 1,550 Mw capacity (Rs 8,285 crore), with 693 Mw in the domestic market, and 857-Mw capacity in international orders.

The projects would utilise various Suzlon turbine models, including the new S88 and the new S9X series 2.1-Mw turbines with doubly-fed induction generator technology. The new S9X series is specially designed with larger rotor diameters, increased hub heights, improved aerodynamic efficiency, and grid-friendly characteristics for delivering higher project performance at widely available, low and moderate wind speed sites.

Suzlon, one of the top wind energy turbine makers with a 10 per cent share of the global market, had to face issues related to cracking of blades in the US, and had undertaken a retrofitting programme for all its former series turbines.