AMSC To Connect 200MW of Wind Power to Grid

American Superconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: AMSC) announced that it has received orders for two grid interconnection systems for wind farms in the U.S. and Canada. The two wind farms will provide more than 200 megawatts (MW) of power.

The orders are for AMSC’s proprietary D-VAR systems, which enable wind farm developers to meet the requirements for interconnection of wind farms to power grids.

With these new orders–to be delivered by the end of 2008– AMSC’s D-VAR solution will be serving 20 wind farms in North American and a total of 35 wind farms worldwide. Including AMSC’s core electrical components that it sells to manufacturers of wind turbines, with these new orders, AMSC products will be serving approximately 7,100 MW (7.1 gigawatts) of wind power–an increase of 120% from one year ago, the company said.

Seven gigawatts represents more than 7% of wind generated electricity worldwide as of December 31, 2007, according to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).

"Our suite of offerings for the wind power market is unique and diverse, ranging from wind turbine designs and consulting services to wind turbine electrical components and voltage regulation systems for entire wind farms," said AMSC founder and CEO, Greg Yurek. "As a result, 65% of our business today is in the rapidly growing global wind industry."

About American Superconductor 

AMSC is an energy technologies company offering an array of products based on two proprietary technologies: programmable power electronic converters and high temperature superconductor (HTS) wires. The company’s products, services and system-level solutions enable cleaner, more efficient and more reliable generation, delivery and use of electric power. AMSC is a leader in alternative energy, offering grid interconnection solutions as well as licensed wind energy designs and electrical systems. As the world’s principal supplier of HTS wire, the company is enabling a new generation of compact, high-power electrical products, including power cables, grid-level surge protectors, Secure Super Grids^TM technology, motors, generators, and advanced transportation and defense systems. AMSC also provides utility and industrial customers worldwide with voltage regulation systems that dramatically enhance power grid capacity, reliability and security, as well as industrial productivity.