Kolskaya Wind Farm: Largest Renewable Project Beyond the Arctic Circle
Enel Green Power broke ground at the Kolskaya wind project, located in the Russian region of Murmansk. With 201 MW of installed capacity, the facility is the largest wind farm currently under construction beyond the Arctic Circle. The project, owned by Enel Russia, will involve a total investment of around 273 million euros.
The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Enel Group’s Head of Europe and Euro Mediterranean Affairs Simone Mori, Enel Russia General Director Carlo Palasciano Villamagna, Governor-elect of the Murmansk region Andrey Chibis, and other representatives of regional and federal authorities.
“Kolskaya is our northernmost project, part of a global portfolio that now goes from beyond the Arctic Circle to the southernmost areas of Africa and that circles the world east to west from Australia to the western United States, under the most diverse and challenging climate conditions,” said Antonio Cammisecra, Head of Enel Green Power. “Through the opening of this second construction site in Russia, we are taking the next step in the strengthening of our renewable portfolio in this country. Looking ahead, we are committed to scouting for further renewable opportunities in Russia while continuing to build and develop our current projects, leveraging on our strong presence and expertise in the area to progressively build a truly low-carbon footprint in Russia.”
“We are breaking ground on a strategic wind project before Murmansk Region authorities and the Enel Russia board of directors, which met today in Murmansk, underscoring the importance given to this project. With the start of construction of this facility, we are confirming our commitment to Russia’s energy transition towards a low-carbon economy. This wind project, which is the first major renewable facility located beyond the Arctic Circle will help to diversify the energy profile of the Murmansk region by leveraging on its abundance of wind resources. Looking ahead, we will continue to work on projects that further the energy transition, in pursuit of the Group’s 2050 full decarbonisation target,” Simone Mori, Enel Group’s Head of Europe and Euro-Mediterranean Affairs, underlined.
“We proudly announce our expansion beyond the Arctic Circle with an environmentally friendly technology like wind power. Leveraging on our Group’s renowned expertise, we are bringing wind technology to areas with challenging environmental and weather conditions. The innovative profile of the project, together with its sustainability features, are meant to support the economy of the Murmansk region while contributing to the country’s overall energy mix with zero-emission power,” Carlo Palasciano Villamagna, General Director of Enel Russia, highlighted.
“Murmansk is a strategic region from several points of view, including its industrial sector. Power security north of the Arctic Circle is vital not only for us but for the whole country, more importantly, in the context of significant infrastructure construction projects which are now being carried out in the region. The wind farm under construction is an additional echelon for providing such a security. The project benefits from the abundant wind resources of Murmansk, which we are planning to turn into an advanced region, and the use of state-of-the-art technologies as well as the latest trends like “green” energy are a direct step towards this aim,” mentioned Andrey Chibis, Governor-elect of the Murmansk region
Enel Russia was awarded the 201 MW Kolskaya wind project in the 2017 Russian Government tender for the construction of 1.9 GW of wind capacity in the country along with the 90 MW Azov wind project, which is currently under construction and due to be commissioned at the end of 2020.
In June 2019 Enel Russia was awarded another wind project of over 71 MW, Rodnikovsky wind farm, located in the Stavropol region, and due to be commissioned in the first half of 2024. Enel Green Power is in charge of the development and construction of all the projects.
Enel Russia’s overall investment in the three facilities amounts to approximately 495 million euros, underscoring the company’s major commitment to energy mix diversification through zero-emission technologies. This investment is in line with the Enel Group’s overall target to fully decarbonise its generation mix by 2050.
The Kolskaya wind farm is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2021 and will be able to generate around 750 GWh per year, avoiding the emission of around 600,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. The wind facility will consist of 57 turbines covering a 257-hectare area.
Enel Russia’s wind project in the Murmansk region is backed by a Cooperation Agreement in Renewable Energy Development signed with the Government of Murmansk region in November 2018. This agreement aims at increasing Murmansk region’s economic potential, including through the establishment of new power production and energy infrastructure facilities.
The Russian government started launching yearly renewable tenders in 2013 to reach 4.5% of energy generation from renewables and 5.5 GW of installed renewable capacity by 2024.
Enel Green Power is the global business line of the Enel Group dedicated to the development, construction and operation of renewables across the world, with a presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Enel Green Power is a global leader in the green energy sector with a managed capacity of more than 43 GW across a generation mix that includes wind, solar, geothermal and hydropower, and is at the forefront of integrating innovative technologies into renewable power plants.
Source: Enel Green Power press release