HUDSON, KANSAS, U.S. — Stafford County Flour Mills Co. has begun installation of a wind turbine to generate electricity for its flour mill in Hudson, Kansas, U.S.

Gamesa Technology Corp., Inc. and its partner Harvest the World Network (HTWN) are jointly working on the delivery and installation of the wind turbine. Stafford County Flour Mills will use the Gamesa G50—850 kW turbine to supply electricity directly to its plant.

The company is installing the turbine as a first step in working toward becoming a carbon neutral company. HTWN is a primary distributor of Gamesa’s family of G5X—850 kW turbines for community and distributed wind energy projects. Sustainable Energy Developments (SED) designed, permitted and will install the turbine on a 55-meter tower. 

With the turbine, Stafford will minimize its fossil fuel consumption and significantly reduce its energy costs, making it more competitive in the milling industry, Stafford said. 

“Stafford County Flour Mills physically sits in one of the best wind corridors in the U.S. and so it was only natural that we seek an opportunity to procure our energy responsibly and reduce our dependence on non-renewable energy while fixing one of our key input costs in flour milling,” said Reuel Foote, president of Stafford County Flour Mills. “With this project now underway, we’re excited to see what we can achieve with Gamesa and Harvest the World Network in doing our part in adopting cleaner power energy.”

First installed in 2001, Gamesa 850 kW turbine platform performance is well tested and validated, with over 10,000 units installed around the world. The platform’s adaptability to any environment or condition is vital to developers as community and distributed wind energy projects occupy a variety of terrains.

Construction began in December 2013, and the project is scheduled to be completed and online by the end of the year.