Energy International & Trading : International wind activities grouped together into new business unit
Bern (ots)
As of January 1, 2011, BKW FMB Energy Ltd (BKW) is grouping together its international wind activities in a specially created business unit, "Wind International". This combination takes into account BKW's broad commitment to wind energy and will lead to greater efficiency in business processes. By the end of 2010, current installed capacity will increase from 71 to around 200 MW, with investment in the region of CHF 400 million earmarked for the purpose. Over the next few years, BKW is aiming to reinforce its position as Switzerland's leading producer of wind energy even further, building up a foreign wind portfolio of some 750 MW. Investment totalling nearly CHF 2 bn has been set aside to this end. In order to achieve its goal, BKW has entered into strategic partnerships with the juwi Group in Germany and Fortore Energia S.p.A. in Italy. BKW is also cooperating with Energie Wasser Bern. - Through the juwi Group, BKW will develop a number of wind farms in Germany with a total output of 200 MW. An initial project was completed last year in Landkern in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. BKW has already been operating a wind farm in Bockelwitz, Saxony, since 2008. - In Italy, BKW has a 33% holding in newly founded company Fortore Wind. The company is planning to build wind farms in Apulia with a total output of some 600 MW by 2016. At the end of 2009, BKW also acquired project company Volturino Wind S.r.l., an enterprise aiming to operate wind energy plants in Volturino, with an output of 25 MW. - As part of the joint undertaking HelveticWind, BKW and Energie Wasser Bern are building up a wind energy portfolio of 100 MW. The partners have already acquired their first wind farm in Germany. Located near the city of Münster in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Sendenhorst wind farm has been productive since 2005; with an output of 14.5 MW. The cooperations mentioned above all deal with onshore wind capacity. In order to gain experience in the construction and operation of offshore wind farms using future-oriented offshore technology, BKW has recently acquired a small share in Borkum West II wind farm project. Philippe Künzi is head of the new "Wind International" business unit which forms part of the Energy International and Trading division.
Contact:
Antonio Sommavilla, phone 0041 31 330 51 07; e-mail
antonio.sommavilla@bkw-fmb.ch