The order has been placed by Edison, Italy’s second largest electric utility, with operations within procurement, production and distribution of electric power and hydrocarbons. Currently, the Group’s generating capacity has reached 12,300 MW. Edison has traditionally been active in the area of renewable energy sources, which account for about 14 per cent of its total installed capacity.
“We are happy to announce that Vestas has closed a new deal with Edison in Italy. The new project of San Giorgio la Molara is yet another proof of Edison’s commitment to clean and sustainable energy, and we sure intend to meet their expectations in terms of supplying the best possible wind power solutions,” says Juan Araluce y Martínez de Azagra, President of Vestas Mediterranean.
Rainer Karan, Managing Director of Vestas Italia, states: “It is with great pleasure we announce this new order. Edison is one of the main players in the energy sector and we are very proud of the commitment and trust they have shown in our proven technology for their new project. Edison and Vestas have been business partners for a long time and the mutual trust between us has made this order possible.”
With a total installed capacity of 54 MW and an estimated annual production of 148,000 MWh per year, the San Giorgio la Molara wind farm will save the environment from more than 57,400 tons of CO2 emissions on an annual basis. Furthermore, it will generate enough electricity to power around 62,000 Italian households per year.
Vestas in Italy
Vestas has been operating in the Italian wind energy market since 1998 through the company Vestas Italia which is the sales unit in Vestas Mediterranean handing all sales operations and maintenance activities in Italy. Vestas Italia is also responsible for the business development activities in the markets of Switzerland, the Balkans, Libya, Egypt and Jordan.
Vestas Italia’s headquarters and main sales office are located in Rome. The company also has an operations office in Taranto and a customer service centre in San Giorgio. In addition, Vestas has service and logistics facilities spread all over the country and on the main islands.
Furthermore, Vestas currently also has two production facilities in Taranto for production of blades and nacelles for the V52 and the V90 wind turbines. For all the coverage, Vestas employs more than 700 people in Italy to meet the customer’s needs and be ahead of the industry.
Having delivered 2,327 MW in Italy by 30 June 2010, and with a well-structured service and maintenance organisation, Vestas is the wind power market leader and most experienced partner within the wind energy industry in Italy.
Vestas Mediterranean
Vestas Mediterranean is one of the seven Sales Business Units in the Vestas Group and it manages all sales, construction and service operations in the countries of the Mediterranean area, Middle East, Latin America, Caribbean as well as approx 70 per cent of the African continent. As of 30 June 2010, this Sales Business Unit delivered a cumulative capacity of 9,200 MW, representing 23 per cent of Vestas’ global capacity.
From Vestas Mediterranean’s headquarters in Madrid, we operate the Vestas Mediterranean Control Centre, consisting of a Performance and Diagnostic Service for preventive maintenance and a 24/7 Surveillance for reactive maintenance of almost 4,000 wind turbines in the Mediterranean area. In addition, we have established the Vestas Mediterranean Training Centre in la Muela, Zaragoza, Spain, where our technicians working on turbines throughout the entire Mediterranean region receive training on the latest technologies and working procedures on a regular basis.
In the Mediterranean region, Vestas has production facilities in Italy and Spain with a total workforce of 2,900 highly skilled and fully committed employees. Besides, we have established a new Vestas Spare Parts & Repair facility in Vilafranca del Penedès, close to Barcelona, Spain for service and repair of wind turbine main components, which serve the entire European market.
