Enel Green Power has been awarded three energy supply contracts with wind power projects located in the Brazilian state of Bahia.
These projects will add a further 88 MW to the 313 MW of wind projects Enel Green Power obtained in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 Brazilian public auctions – 283 MW of which are already under construction – and to the 93 MW of hydro power capacity the company is already operating in the country.
These projects mark a further significant step forward in the Enel Group’s growth strategy in Latin America.
Through the 2013 Brazilian Reserve Auction, Enel Green Power has been awarded the right to enter into three 20-year energy supply contracts with the Brazilian Chamber of Commercialization of Electric Energy (CCEE Camara de Comercializaçao da Energia Eletrica) with power produced by three wind projects with a total capacity of 88 MW.
The projects are located in the state of Bahia, in north-eastern Brazil, where the company already has over 146 MW of wind capacity under construction. These new contracts represent an extension of the projects the company was already awarded with in 2010 and 2012 public auctions in the same region.
Once completed, the three new wind projects, requiring a total investment of approximately 163 million US dollars, will be able to generate more than 400 GWh per year, a sustainable contribution to the rising energy demand of a country. The Enel Green Power wind projects have an average load factor of more than 50%, equivalent to approximately 4,600 hours of energy production per year.
"This new success in Brazil confirms our growth plans and strengthens the Enel Group’s presence in Latin America," said Fulvio Conti, CEO of Enel, "a continent that represents a pillar of our strategy, thanks to its strong economic growth and the associated rise in energy consumption. In the renewables field, Enel Green Power is continuing its constant expansion with cutting-edge projects and a diversified energy mix that comprises all renewable generation technologies ".
Brazil is among the world leaders in renewable energy generation thanks to its more than 98,000 MW of installed renewables capacity, corresponding to around 85% of the country’s total installed capacity.
Enel Green Power is the Enel Group company fully dedicated to the development and management of renewable energy sources at the international level, with operations in Europe and the Americas. The company generated more than 25 billion kWh in 2012 from water, sun, wind and the Earth’s heat - enough to meet the energy needs of approx. 10 million households and avoid the emission of over 18 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. Enel Green Power is a world leader in the sector thanks to its well-balanced generation mix, providing generation volumes well over the sector average. The company has an installed capacity of approximately 8,700 MW from a mix of sources including wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass. Currently, the company has approximately 740 plants operating in 16 countries in Europe and the Americas.
In Brazil, Enel Green Power manages wind projects with about 283 MW of total capacity and runs hydro facilities for 93 MW. In the generation segment, operating through Endesa, the Enel Group operates around 1 GW of installed capacity in Brazil, while in the distribution field, with about 6 million customers, the Group operates in the state of Rio de Janeiro and Cearà. In the transmission sector, Endesa operates an interconnection line between Brazil and Argentina.
In Latin America, Enel Green Power currently runs renewable energy plants in Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Chile and Brazil, with a total installed capacity of 990 MW. In the wind sector, in addition to its projects in Brazil, the company has 24 MW of installed wind capacity in Costa Rica, 144 MW in Mexico and 90 MW in Chile, where the company is also constructing the 90 MW “Valle de los Vientos” and 99 MW “Taltal” wind farms. With its long experience in the field of geothermal energy, Enel Green Power is also developing new opportunities in this sector. In Chile, in particular, the company is exploring several concessions with a potential capacity exceeding 100 MW.
Additionally, in Latin America, operating through Endesa and its subsidiaries in five countries, the Enel Group is the largest private-sector operator, with approx. 16 GW of installed capacity and serving some 14 million customers.