RWE has inaugurated a 25MW wind farm in Sicily, taking its total installed renewables capacity in Italy to 500MW.
The Selinus development in Partanna consists of six Vestas turbines (V136) with a nominal power of 4.2MW each and blades of 67 metres.
RWE invested $30m in the park, which was built and put into operation in less than a year.
The park is surrounded by olive groves and to prevent the blades from impacting the trees during transport, technology was used that allowed the blades to be lifted off the ground and transported through alleys, tight curves and steep paths.
The inauguration event has represented an important opportunity to celebrate two days before World Wind Day, organised in Italy by ANEV – National Association of Wind Energy.
The strategic nature of the wind sector in the context of the energy transition was discussed during the round table entitled “Let’s give Energy to the Future”, which was attended by provincial commander of the Carabinieri of Trapani Fabio Bottino, deputy of the Sicilian Regional Assembly Nicolò Catania, Trapani prefect Filippina Cocuzza, Trapani quaestor Salvatore La Rosa, head of onshore development Italy & Spain RWE Renewables Italia Ludovica Nigiotti, councillor for territory and environment Elena Pagana, country chair RWE Renewables Italia Paolo Raia and ANEV president Simone Togni.
Raia said: “The inauguration of the Selinus Wind Farm is a new step towards an important goal that we at RWE have set ourselves: more than doubling the installed capacity in Italy by 2030, going from about 500MW to 1000MW between onshore wind, solar and storage systems.
Italy and Sicily in particular are confirmed as key territories for the implementation of energy technologies that can concretely contribute to the realization of the energy transition.
Togni added: “Inaugurating the Selinus Wind Farm two days before World Wind Day is particularly significant. It means that in Italy the wind sector is growing, despite the often cumbersome bureaucratic framework, and that in our country there is still a desire to invest.”