The wind power contract includes supply, installation and commissioning of the wind turbines and a ten-year service agreement. Delivery of the wind turbines will start at the end of 2011.
WinBis S.p.A. is part of the EGL Group, one of Europe’s leading operators specialised in production, distribution, and trading of electricity. EGL has identified the exploitation of renewable energy sources, including wind energy, as key in their strategy. With WinBis, the EGL Group is entering the wind power generation sector, currently considered the most promising technology with regards to renewable energy sources.
Ansaldo Energia S.p.A. is Italy’s leading producer of thermoelectric power plants, operating on international markets. Ansaldo Energia belongs to the Finmeccanica Group, which a major player worldwide and the largest of the high-tech industrial Groups based in Italy.
The order has been received by a temporary business association established between Vestas Italia S.r.l. and General Construction, a company which will be taking care of the wind power plant’s balance of plant.
“It is with a great pleasure that we announce this new order, which shows Winbis’ commitment to clean and sustainable energy”, says Juan Araluce, President of Vestas Mediterranean, and continues: “We are confident to meet their expectations in terms of supplying the best possible wind power solutions for this project.”
Rainer Karan, Managing Director of Vestas Italia continues: “We are proud of having been chosen as wind turbine supplier for this specific project in Campania, and we look forward to a long and valued relationship with Ansaldo Energia S.p.A., Winbis S.p.A. and indirectly with the EGL Group. As a first time buyer, the company has shown their confidence in the business case certainty that Vestas offers through our wind turbines and our cutting-edge technology.”
The Bisaccia wind power plant has an estimated annual production of 116,000 MWh per year, which corresponds to the residential electricity consumption of 102,000 persons in Italy. Moreover, the wind farm will save the environment from more than 45,000 tons of CO2 emissions on an annual basis.
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 region, Middle East, Latin America, Caribbean as well as approximately 70 per cent of the African continent.
As of 30 June 2010, this Sales Business Unit delivered a cumulative capacity of 9,200 MW and it had a workforce of 2,900 highly skilled and fully committed employees in the Mediterranean area including production capabilities in Italy and Spain.
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 customers’ 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 market leader and most experienced partner within the wind energy industry in Italy.
