Monday, June 30, 2008

Suzlon Wind Turbines Miss Some Performance Benchmarks, WSJ Says

Turbines supplied by India's Suzlon Energy Ltd. to wind farms managed by Deere & Co. are producing less power than contracted, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.

Suzlon, the world's fifth-largest maker of wind turbines, promises customers its turbines will be available to generate power at least 95% of the occasions when there is wind, and that they need only a limited amount of time for repair and maintenance, the newspapers said. The so-called availability rate has been lower in some cases, exposing Suzlon to the risk of penalties, it said.

Deere has 250 Suzlon turbines, making it one of the company's largest customers in the U.S. customers, the report said. Some turbines produce insufficient power because they aren't compatible with the U.S. electricity grid, it said.

Suzlon, in a written reply to the newspaper, said a version of its main turbine is compatible with the U.S. electricity grid, according to the report.

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