Willow spring wind project in Texas reaches the financial close
Lincoln Clean Energy, a portfolio company of I Squared Capital, has announced the financing of its Willow Springs project, a 250 MW wind farm in Haskell County, Texas.
GE Renewable Energy will supply the project with 100 of its 2.5-116 wind turbines. Upon entering commercial operations, the wind farm will be supported by a 20-year, extended full service agreement performed by GE.
The US$330 million project will receive construction and term financing from Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML) and Rabobank as well as long-term tax equity from BAML and BHE Renewables, LLC. Power from the project is contracted under an agreement with Merrill Lynch Commodities.
Lincoln Clean Energy is also currently constructing the 253 MW Amazon Wind Farm Texas. Pete McCabe, President and CEO of GE’s Onshore Wind business said:
“GE is excited to build on our relationships with Lincoln Clean Energy and I Squared Capital. Once Willow Springs is complete, GE will have commissioned 1,363 MW of wind capacity across six wind farms developed by LCE over four years. We look forward to extending our relationship with LCE and I Squared Capital in the future.”
Declan Flanagan, Founder and CEO of Lincoln Clean Energy commented:
“We are delighted to build on our successful relationship with GE and are well-positioned to execute on our pipeline of more than 1,000 megawatts of advanced-stage development projects across Texas and the Midwest.”
Adil Rahmathulla, Partner at I Squared Capital, commented:
“I Squared Capital is proud to be at the forefront of the transition to renewable energy in the United States. Part of that requires using proven and reliable technology to maximize generation at our facilities. When fully operational, the new wind farm is expected to generate approximately 1,000,000 MWh of renewable energy per year, or enough to power the equivalent of 90,000 U.S. homes.”
GE’s 2X platform is compatible with GE’s Digital Wind Farm technology, powered by GE’s Predix software. With varying generator ratings, megawatts and various rotor diameter options, the 2X platform is well-suited for a variety of U.S. wind conditions.
