RWE Innogy opens third wind farm in Italy

Following a year of construction work, RWE Innogy today commissioned its third onshore wind farm in Italy. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) September 09, 2011 - The Anzi wind farm is situated on a plateau 1,100 metres above sea level in the southern Italian region of Basilicata. The eight wind turbines supplied by Danish manufacturer Vestas have a combined output of 16 megawatts, thus allowing the production of 31 million kilowatt-hours of environmentally friendly electricity every year. Convert these figures and this volume is sufficient to supply over 10,000 households with their annual electricity needs. The Anzi wind farm is the third wind power project which RWE Innogy has developed and established in cooperation with its strategic partner in Italy, FRI-EL Green Power. RWE Innogy holds a majority interest - 51% - in the project. The investment volume totals 26 million euros.

“Our aim is not only to compose a portfolio along technology lines, but also geographically, for example in order to accommodate a wide range of weather conditions. That’s why we intend to increase our capacity also in Italy still further, where our output - with the commissioning of Anzi - already comes to 67 megawatts. In Italy we are focusing on wind and biomass as sources of energy, in both cases together with our Italian partner FRI-EL Green Power”, explained Hans Bünting, CFO with RWE Innogy. “I am delighted that the construction of Anzi has gone so smoothly. Our cooperation with local partners, especially the authorities in Basilicata, worked so well that it took just one year to be ready to connect to the grid”, added Paolo Grossi, COO at RWE Innogy Italia.

Back in 2010 and prior to the Anzi wind farm, RWE Innogy - in collaboration with FRI-EL Green Power had already opened the San Basilio wind power station on Sardinia (approx. 25

megawatts) and the Ururi plant in southern Italy (26 megawatts). The companies are also responsible for building the first biomass power station on Sicily. This plant - with a planned output of 18.7 megawatts - is due to be commissioned at the end of 2012.

RWE Innogy entered into partnership with the Italian designer and operator of renewable energy power plants, FRI-EL Green Power S.p.A., in 2008 via its local subsidiary RWE Innogy Italia S.p.A., based in Bozen. The aim of the joint venture is the design, construction and operation of wind and biomass power plants in Italy.

By the end of 2010, 5.8 gigawatts of wind power had been installed in Italy. The Italian government aims to increase the installed capacity to twelve gigawatts by 2020. Power generation based on renewable sources of energy is currently promoted in Italy using a “green certificate” system. Electricity providers are obliged to offer a certain percentage of renewables-based electricity. By purchasing the relevant certificates they can however exempt themselves from this requirement. This system is due to terminate in 2015. The Italian government plans to introduce a new tariff system to promote renewables by the end of the year. No details of this new system have yet been released.

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