Exus Renewables invests in 139-MW Pennsylvania wind farm upgrade

Exus Renewables North America has begun upgrading the 139-MW Twin Ridges Wind Farm in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, as part of a planned $200 million investment in the community.

Wind energy repowering involves upgrading older wind turbines or entire wind farms with the latest technology to increase their efficiency, capacity and service life. The process typically involves replacing outdated components such as turbines, blades and nacelles with newer, more efficient versions. Repowering can also involve updating control systems and other infrastructure to increase efficiency.

The main goals of modernization are:

• More energy production: Newer technologies allow more energy to be produced from the same wind resources through improved design and efficiency.
• Extending turbine life: Replacing aging components can extend the life of turbines, making wind farm investments more profitable in the long term.
• Reduced maintenance costs: Newer turbines require less maintenance, which can significantly reduce operating costs.
• Greater reliability: Modern turbines are more reliable and less prone to failure.
• Optimizing the use of existing sites: Modernization allows the continued use of sites that have proven wind resources, existing infrastructure and grid connections, which can be more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than building new sites.

The Twin Ridges upgrade, which includes replacing the nacelles and blades of existing wind turbines while preserving the towers and foundations, will provide a 30 percent increase in energy production for the project and the residents of southwestern Pennsylvania.
“As the wind industry faces increasingly complex obstacles to growth, including a pipeline of nearly 3 GW of renewable energy projects trying to connect to the grid, repowering has become a path to achieving clean energy goals,” said Jim Spencer, CEO of Exus Renewables North America. “These improvements will ensure that the Twin Ridges project will generate clean, reliable, renewable energy—as well as millions of dollars in community investment—for the region for decades to come.”

Exus Renewables is investing approximately $200 million in the project, creating 150 union construction jobs. It is expected to inject more than $7.35 million into the local economy through the purchase of materials and services from local suppliers and anticipates that over the 30-year life of the project, more than $100 million will be invested in the community through taxes and landowner payments. Vestas American Wind Technology provided the American-made nacelles, hubs, blades and tower adapters for the project.

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