By Isabella Kaminski

Gamesa has signed an agreement with energy company E.ON to supply an offshore prototype of its G11X 5 MW wind turbine platform in 2012. The agreement also includes the installation of one – possibly two – Gamesa G128 4.5 MW wind turbines for an E.ON site in Europe. Gamesa will undertake the transport, installation and commissioning of the wind turbines in 2012.

Gamesa will also install G9X 2 MW wind turbines in a wind farm under construction in Alcamo, Sicily, which have a capacity of over 30 MW. It will undertake the transport, installation and commissioning in 2011.

Javier Perea, General Manager of Sales and Projects for Gamesa, says: "This agreement with E.ON represents significant support for our offshore technology. The ability to test our offshore wind prototypes will provide us with a solid basis for advancing towards the final development of our offshore platforms."

Michael Lewis, Managing Director of E.ON’s European Renewables business, adds: "Gamesa shows a strong commitment to the offshore market, and this agreement will enable us to analyse and test a prototype which, though new, is based on technology currently tested on the G10X-4.5 prototype machine. It will also help us to continue our drive to stimulate innovation in the offshore market.”

Gamesa is currently designing and developing two families of offshore wind turbines (G11X 5 MW, and G14X with a capacity of 6-7 MW) based on technology that was used in the G10X-4.5 MW turbine. Prototypes of the G11X 5 MW platform will be tested in the last quarter of 2012, and the pre-series will be ready in 2013.

The G11X 5 MW wind turbine platform is being developed together with the Northrop Grumman Corporation, a USA defence contractor and shipbuilder.