GE and E.ON inked a seven-year deal for operation and maintenance of 529 1.5 MW wind turbines E.ON has installed in the US. This is one of the largest wind service agreements ever signed by General Electric. The sum involved in the deal was not disclosed.

GE will provide non-stop monitoring and diagnostics from the company's Schenectady, New York based Renewable Operations Center, flow and capital parts support. Also, the company will provide complete site services for all GE 1.5 MW units installed at five E.ON Climate & Renewables sites – the Pyron phase at Roscoe, Panther Creek I & II and Panther Creek III in Texas, Munnsville in New York, and Stony Creek in Pennsylvania.

E.ON will receive predictable and competitive service costs, while being able to maintain operational excellence at multiple sites. A single point of availability throughout E.ON's fleet of 529 turbines can equate to more than 25 GWh of additional energy produced in a year. The 1.5 MW is the most widely deployed wind turbine in the world, with about 12,000 units currently installed.

[source: press release]