BP and ChevronTexaco to build $23 million wind farm
16 Jan 2002
BP and ChevronTexaco today announced that they are to build and operate a 22.5-megawatt wind farm at their jointly owned Nerefco oil refinery near Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The project is subject to planning and other consents.
The $23 million scheme is due to begin operations in the second half of this year and will be the first substantial use of wind turbine technology for both BP and ChevronTexaco.
It will generate electricity equivalent to the consumption of 20,000 households, displacing 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. The electricity will be sold locally and support the Dutch national target for renewable energy generation, which aims to increase the amount of electricity generated from renewable sources to five per cent by 2005.
At present, wind accounts for approximately one TWh of the total Netherlands power market but this figure is predicted to rise to four TWh by 2010, which is equivalent to approximately 35-45 per cent of the total renewable power generation in the Netherlands.
The project will consist of nine wind turbines, each with a generating capacity of 2.5 megawatts, located at various points close to the refinery's perimeter fence. Costs will be shared in proportion to the ownership of the refinery with BP contributing 69 per cent and ChevronTexaco contributing 31 per cent.
