Enel Cleared to Build Italy's Largest Windfarm

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--The renewable energy arm of Italian energy giant Enel SpA (BIT:ENEL) (Rome, Italy) has secured permission to build its biggest windfarm to date in Italy. Enel Green Power (EGP) has been given the green light to commence construction on a 90-megawatt (MW) onshore windfarm at Portoscuso, on the west coast of the island of Sardinia. The windfarm will produce 185 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually, enough energy to power approximately 70,000 homes and offset carbon emissions totalling 130,000 tonnes.

The Portoscuso windfarm will use 39 turbines from Siemens AG (NYSE:SI) (Munich, Germany), rated at 2.3 MW each. On completion, they will bring Enel's wind capacity on Sardinia to more than 250 MW. Enel presently operates three windfarms on the island with a combined generating capacity of 161 MW, producing more than 240 million kWh each year.

"This is an important step in the program for Enel Green Power's organic growth, as outlined in the development plans," said Francesco Starace, CEO of Enel Green Power. "We are very proud of our presence in Sardinia, and we hope to achieve this important investment in 2011."

Enel Green Power signalled its increased drive into the wind energy sector in November last year, when it signed a long-term wind turbine supply agreement with Siemens Energy for the supply of 260 onshore wind turbines, with an overall capacity of 600 MW, to a number of windfarms across Europe. There is also an option to supply another 600 MW of turbines in the future. For additional information, see November 3, 2010, article - Siemens Clinches 600-Megawatt Turbine Deal with Enel.

In September last year, Enel Green Power signed a deal with Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems A/S (CPH:VWS) (Randers, Denmark) for the global supply of 400 MW of turbines, with an option for a further 1,000 MW. For additional information, see September 15, 2010, article - Vestas Closes 400-Megawatt Turbine Deal.

Enel Green Power was formed in 2008 to take over and expand Enel's existing renewable energy activities in the areas of wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric and biomass across Europe, North America and Central and South America. Today, it has an installed renewable generating capacity of 5,600 MW spread across 618 plants.

Last October, Enel Green Power secured a 440 million-euro ($590 million) loan, with an option to increase that to 600 million euros, from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to develop wind and photovoltaic projects in Italy, totalling 840 MW.

IIR's Renewable Energy Database provides extensive coverage on the wind energy, geothermal, hydroelectric, landfill gas-to-energy and utility-scale solar power plants throughout North America, and is now expanding coverage across the world.

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