RWE Generates $647 Million for Polish Wind Power

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--German power group, RWE AG (OTC:RWEOY) (Essen, Germany) continues to advance into the Polish power market with the promise of approximately $647 million for wind energy projects.

According to Kevin McCullough, Renewable Energy Chief at RWE Innogy (Essen), the renewables arm of RWE, the company plans to pour up to $647 million into the Polish wind energy sector. RWE has previously announced that the company has plans to generate 300 megawatts (MW) of wind power in Poland by 2015. "Poland is one of our core markets in the region. It has the best wind conditions in Central-Eastern Europe for installing wind turbines," said McCullough. He said that RWE plans to be key player in Poland's push to generate 15% of its power from clean sources by 2020.

RWE erected its first wind turbines this month at Poland's Suwalki windfarm in the northeastern part of the country. The windfarm will eventually have 18 wind turbines, each with an installed capacity of 2.3 MW. The turbines in use are Siemens SWT-2.3-93, which has a rotor diameter of 92.6 meters and a hub height of 103 meters. When the windfarm is in full operation later this year, it will produce 80 million kilowatt-hours per year, enough power for up to 40,000 homes.

The next step is RWE's erection of a windfarm in Tychowo in the northwest, which should be completed by 2010. RWE is scheduled to install 15 wind turbines rated at 2.3 MW each. For additional information, see related news item from April 24, 2008 - Major Slice of RWE's $47 Billion Power Investment Going International.

"I believe in energy mix and that Poland should develop simultaneously various energy sources--coal, gas, nuclear and renewables," said Filip Thon, President of RWE Polska. "The erection of the Suwalki windfarm is an important step for us with a view to expanding RWE's position regarding renewable energies in Poland. It is our goal to have 4,500 megawatts in Europe on the basis of renewable energies in operation or construction by 2012," he said. "To reach this goal we will invest at least one billion euros every year. In this respect Poland is one of our key markets. In an East European comparison, Poland offers the best wind conditions. That's a really good place to be for getting stable and high wind power generation to support the goals of the European Union and the Polish Government."

Poland currently generates more than 90% of its power from coal-fired power plants and is under pressure from the European Union to increase renewable power sources.

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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