Neoen and renewable energy cooperative Prokon have kicked off construction of two jointly owned wind projects in Finland, totalling 160MW.
The partners have provided notice to proceed to Vestas, signalling the start of the construction of their jointly owned Storbötet and Lumivaara wind farms.
The Storbötet site, in the municipality of Uusikaarlepyy, in the region of Ostrobothnia, will comprise 17 Vestas turbines with a total capacity of 105.4MW (compared to the 95MW originally planned).
Lumivaara wind farm, in the municipality of Hyrynsalmi, in the region of Kainuu, will comprise nine Vestas machines, with a total capacity of 55.8MW (compared to the 53MW originally planned).
They are scheduled to be fully operational in 2025.
Both projects are underpinned by 10-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Equinix, which cover 60% of the green energy and guarantees of origin to be produced by Storbötet and 80% of those produced by Lumivaara.
They are the second and third PPAs Neoen and Prokon have signed with Equinix, preceded by the Björkliden wind PPA.
The Storbötet and Lumivaara wind farms will deliver competitively priced electricity, while contributing to Equinix’s global commitment to become climate-neutral by 2030.
Neoen owns an 80% stake in each project, the remaining 20% being owned by Prokon, which co-developed these two sites with Neoen.
Director of Prokon Finland Jakob Kjellman said: “With the start of construction of the Storbötet and Lumivaara wind farms, we have achieved a long-standing goal.
“It shows the ability of the landowners and Prokon to come together behind a shared vision and proves it is possible to act together at the local level to deliver renewable energy for a sustainable society.”
Chief executive and chairman of Neoen Xavier Barbaro added: “I would like to thank the Neoen and Prokon teams for their successful cooperation over the last few years.
“We are delighted to be working with Vestas once again and with Equinix, with whom we have signed three PPAs – building on the foundations of existing relationships is a powerful way to boost our growth.”