Vestas has completed turbine installation at Pattern Energy’s 3.5GW SunZia wind project in the U.S. state of New Mexico, marking a major construction milestone for what is set to become the largest onshore wind farm in the country.
The SunZia array spans Torrance, Lincoln and San Miguel counties and is expected to supply electricity to around 320,000 households once fully connected to the grid.
Vestas said it supplied 242 of its V163-4.5MW turbines for the project. In total, the development comprises about 916 turbines installed across two main project areas, alongside 10 substations. Additional capacity is provided by 674 turbines supplied by GE Vernova, each rated at 3.6MW.
With turbine installation complete, the project will now advance to commissioning and grid connection, including integration with an 885-kilometre high-voltage transmission line designed to deliver power to demand centres in the U.S. Southwest.
“This milestone reflects the scale and complexity of SunZia and the strong coordination across the project teams,” Vestas said, adding that the focus will now shift to commissioning and system integration to bring the wind farm into full operation.
Once operational, SunZia is expected to play a significant role in expanding renewable energy supply in the region and supporting long-distance transmission of wind power across state lines.
