Wind Energy

E.ON further expands its wind energy and solar power capacity

E.ON installed and successfully tested the first of 94 wind turbines of Settlers Trail wind farm. Located in Illinois, Settlers Trail will be the fourteenth wind farm E.ON has built in the United States in just three years. With 150 megawatts (MW) of capacity, it will be able to supply more than 45,000 households with clean electricity. When completed Settlers Trail will take E.ON’s a total installed wind power capacity in North America over 2,000 MW strengthening the company’s position as one of the continent’s wind power leaders.

Renewable-power in North America is one of E.ON’s growth businesses outside Europe. In November 2010, the Düsseldorf-based energy company announced that in the future it intends to generate about one quarter of its earnings in four regions outside Europe: North America (wind power), Russia (conventional power generation), and two other regions it is currently in the process of identifying.

In 2010, E.ON invested more than €1 billion in renewables and expanded its wind energy and solar energy capacity by 600 MW to over 3,600 MW. E.ON plans to invest €2.6 billion more for the period 2011-2013.

E.ON is expanding both its wind power and solar power capacity in Europe, where its biggest projects are two offshore wind farms. The first, London Array wind farm, which it is building with partners DONG Energy and Masdar, is already under construction and will have 1,000 MW of capacity, making it the world’s largest wind farm when fully completed.

The second, Amrumbank West wind farm, is in planning and will have around 300 MW of capacity. It will be E.ON’s second far shore, deepwater wind farm in German waters after alpha ventus. E.ON is developing three other offshore wind projects in the German North Sea and Baltic Sea with a total capacity of more than 1,000 MW.

E.ON’s first concentrating solar power plants, a 100 MW facility in Écija, Spain, is nearing completion. The concentrated solar energy plant is a joint venture with Spain’s Abengoa Solar, a specialist in solar power.

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