Mortenson starts turbine tower work at Pacificorp wind farm in Montana

Engineering, procurement and construction firm Mortenson has started working to erect turbines at the 240-MW Pryor Mountain Wind project near Bridger, Montana.

Mortenson is contracted to do the work for West Coast utility Pacificorp. The project will consist of four GE turbines and 110 Vestas turbines.

“We are delighted to be working with PacifiCorp to construct our fifth wind project in the Big Sky State, which will increase the state’s wind energy portfolio by 30 percent,” said Tim Maag, Vice President and General Manager of Mortenson’s Wind Energy team. “Montana has great potential for wind energy and manufacturing, as it is known to be one of the U.S.’s windiest states.”

Mortenson’s project team mobilized in Carbon County in March 2020. The scope of work includes public road improvements, creation of access roads to each turbine site, foundations, underground collection, substation, operations and maintenance building (O&M) and towers.

Montana has
an installed wind capacity of 882 MW, with 240 MW under construction. Upon
completion of Pryor Mountain, Mortenson will have constructed 76 percent of all
wind energy in Montana.

At peak construction,
approximately 300 people will be employed on-site at Pryor Mountain. The
project is estimated to be complete in December.

When
completed, the site will power roughly 76,000 homes southeast of Bridger.

Minneapolis-based Mortenson provides EPC services in the power, real estate and public works sectors.

EPC insights and utility-scale wind projects will be part of content offered at POWERGEN International happening March 30-April 1 in Orlando, Florida. POWERGEN will be a combined event with DISTRIBUTECH International.