Wind Energy

Renewable energy keeps growing in the Mediterranean with EGP

The Mediterranean area is increasingly a key region for energy supplies in Europe, and the European Commission’s paper The EU Energy Policy: Engaging with Partners beyond Our Borders recommends a commitment to invest in infrastructures that can promote energy cooperation between North African and European countries.

According to the paper, “the importance of the Mediterranean region for Europe’s energy supplies is growing both for fossil fuels and renewables. The European Union should increase efforts aimed at promoting energy infrastructure in this region”.

Enel Green Power is actively involved in this commitment, with investments in countries of the Mediterranean areas for the development of new plants, research projects and technological development, as well as its participation in the Desertec project.

In the Mediterranean area EGP operates in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece, with a total installed capacity exceeding 4414 MW. Specifically, over the past few months new plants have been put into service in these countries.

In Italy, EGP began operations in the new Sparone hydro plant, with an installed capacity of more than 2MW. As regards solar energy photovoltaic, the new Canaro (Rovigo) and Serre Persano (Salerno) solar power facilities have been put into service. The latter, with its 6.6 MW of installed capacity, is the largest solar energy plant in Europe.

Furthermore, EGP keeps growing also in Greece, thanks to its new 5 MW Kouloukonas solar power plant, in the island of Crete. Now Enel Green Power’s overall capacity in this country exceeds 186 MW.

As for EGP’s operations in Spain and Portugal, the Valdihuelo (16 MW) and Aguilón (50 MW) wind energy plants were recently put into service in Spain, while in Portugal the additional 4 MW of the second phase of the Alvaiareze wind farm will meet the needs of 3,900 households.

Moreover, Enel Green Power participates in Desertec, a project for renewable generation in the desert areas of North Africa and the Middle East and the subsequent transmission, by means of direct current sub-sea cables, across the whole of Europe. Specifically, the plan invests in solar photovoltaic and concentrating solar thermal power, the latter being a technological field in which Enel is at the forefront with its Archimede concentrated solar power project and wind power, with the main aim of meeting local needs.

www.enelgreenpower.com/