E2i Energie Speciali, a company set up by Edison and F2i, has been awarded 153 MW of new wind power which will become part of its production park. E2i, according to a note, participated in the competitive auction procedure, called by the Gestore dei Servizi Energetici (Gse), to obtain new production capacity for on-shore wind farms and was admitted to the ranking of GSE auctions of all eight projects presented, which envisage a total investment of around 200 million euros for their implementation.
Specifically, 5 green-field plants will be built in Campania, Puglia, Sicily and Basilicata, while another three will be rebuilt in Abruzzo and Basilicata for a total of over 150 MW. The reconstructions will make it possible to exploit the technological evolution of wind turbines to increase the producibility of the plants and reduce the number of wind turbines in the area. The new production capacity adds to the approximately 600 MW that are already part of the E2i plant portfolio.
On the basis of what is indicated in the rules of the GSE tender, the plants will be completed within 31 months from the assignment date.
“We are proud of this extraordinary success”, comments Marc Benayoun, Chief Executive Officer of Edison. “Edison has always been a reference in the energy industry for its very high technical skills and know-how. Today we acknowledge with satisfaction the goal achieved by E2i which has won around 20% of all the capacity put up for auction by the Gse: 153MW out of 800MW of the total quota".
E2i, he adds, “is in fact the operator that obtained the most MW of all those who participated in the auctions. This result contributes significantly to Edison's goal of becoming the leading wind operator in Italy. A goal that we will reach, together with our partner F2i, also through the takeover bid underway on Alerion and further operations under study".
In 2015, Italy produced 15 TWh of wind energy capable of covering the domestic needs of 15 million people, avoiding the emission of 10 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere with significant benefits for the environment and contributing to the commitment of the European Union to reach 2020% of electricity produced from renewable sources by 20. The wind power installed in Italy is 9 GW of which the first operator holds only 1,1 GW while the remainder is fragmented among many small operators.
