Nordex supplies flow of big projects in Italy

German turbine producer Nordex is making inroads in the Italian market with the announcement of two large contracts for four wind farms. The first, worth EUR 190 million, is for three wind farms with a combined capacity of 185 MW being built in Italy by Danish developer Greentech Energy Systems. Nordex will supply 1.5 MW machines for the 37.5 MW Energia Alternativa wind farm in Sardinia, an extension of Greentech's 21 MW Energia Verde wind farm inaugurated in September, which employs the same machine. Greentech is stepping up a size to the Nordex 2.3 MW model for the 98.9 MW Grighine plant, in Sardinia, which it is also using for a 48.3 MW plant in Sicily. All three should be completed by the end of 2008. In a second contract for a fourth wind farm, Nordex is supplying 2.5 MW turbines, but this time to Italy's Erg, which has diversified into renewables from its refining business. The machines are destined for a 110 MW project in Calabria in southern Italy known as the Fossa del Lupo wind farm. Along with Greentech's Grighine plant, it is larger than any Italian wind farm currently operating. Erg's flow of Nordex turbines comes from a framework contract for supply of 250 MW in total. The contract value for Fossa del Lupo, to be built at an altitude of 800 metres in the province of Catanzaro in Calabria, is EUR 104 million. Construction is set to begin in October next year with the wind farm slated to become operative in 2009. Fossa del Lupo is one of the assets that has been assigned to Erg as it prepares to dissolve its Italian wind energy joint venture with Acciona Eolica CESA at the beginning of 2008.