Vestas secures order for two repowering wind energy projects in Italy

E2i Energie Speciali has placed a 43 MW order for two merchant repowering projects in the province of Chieti, Italy. By applying market experience and operational data from two existing wind farms, Vestas and E2i have been able to create a custom repowering solution that doubles the wind farms’  combined energy production, reduces the number of wind turbines by 70 per cent, and – most notably – allows the operation of the two wind farms on a purely merchant basis and without any direct financial support.

For the Roccaspinalveti wind farm, 24 V47-660 kW wind turbines will be replaced by nine V112-3.3 MW wind turbines, while the Castiglione Messer Marino will include four V112-3.3 MW wind turbines to replace third-party wind turbines.

The order comes shortly after Vestas has finalised two other repowering projects, the Castiglione Messer Marino and the Schiavi d’Abruzzo wind farms, for E2i in Italy, demonstrating Vestas’ ability to create a strong business case in replacing older turbines with newer and more efficient variants.

Alberto Musso, Chief Operating Officer of E2i, points out that “One of the main pillars in the E2i guideline for growth is the renewal of existing power plants through reconstruction projects.  In these two projects, the reconstruction will entail reducing by 70 per cent the number of wind turbines and doubling the energy production. Our projects benefit from the experience gained through the existing E2i power plants, which have been operating for nearly 20 years. This will help us mitigate energy production uncertainties. Vestas technology will allow us to better harness wind resources with larger rotors and modern wind turbines. We are thankful to Vestas’ team for its competence and open attitude to face new challenges in a mountainous terrain with a complex plant configuration”.

Turbine delivery is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2020 while commissioning is planned for the fourth quarter of 2020.

“We feel proud and honoured to work with E2i Energie Speciali on such challenging and  exciting projects. This order underlines Vestas’ capacity to build a highly competitive business case for customers who operate in the merchant energy market. As Vestas’ second merchant order in Italy, it also confirms wind energy’s competitiveness and its increasing role in the country’s energy matrix”, says Rainer Karan, Vestas Vice President of Sales for Southern Europe and Turkey.

Since installing its first turbine in Italy in 1991, Vestas has led the country’s wind industry with more than 4 GW capacity installed, being the main contributor to the expansion of wind energy with a 40 percent market share.