The
European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing €48 million of finance for the
construction and operation of three new wind farms in Austria (Kreuzstetten IV,
Dürnkrut II and Hipples II) with a total capacity of 39 MW.
The
facilities will be operated by Windkraft Simonsfeld AG, which has been running
wind farms successfully in Austria since the end of the 90s. The overall
capacity of the wind farms operated by Windkraft Simonsfeld AG currently
amounts to 168 MW, the European Commission said in a press release on January
24.
Commission
Vice-President for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič noted that this positive
decision reflects the new reality – the EU’s resolute transition to clean
energy. “Austria in particular is well on track to reach its 2020 target for renewable
energy. These are precisely the steps we need in order to pave the way to a
swift implementation of the Paris agreement,” he said.
The bulk of
the EIB financing package – €35 million – will go to Windpark Kreuzstetten IV
GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Windkraft Simonsfeld AG, responsible for
building and operating the three planned wind farms.
The
European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), commonly known as the “Juncker
Plan” has made this financing operation possible. EFSI is the main pillar of
the Investment Plan for Europe (IPE), under which the EIB Group and the
European Commission are working together as strategic partners to boost the
competitiveness of the European economy. The remaining €13 million of EIB funds
will be advanced for project financing via Erste Bank Österreich.
“The promotion of sustainable, competitive and
secure sources of energy is a key EU policy objective and a priority sector for
EIB financing,” EIB Vice-President responsible for operations in Austria Andrew
McDowell said. “We are very pleased to be able to promote the development of
renewable energies in Austria in close cooperation with our Austrian partners.
The Kreuzstetten, Dürnkrut and Hipples wind farm projects are a clear sign that
Austria takes climate and environmental protection very seriously,” McDowell
added.
Windkraft
Simonsfeld AG’s CEO Martin Steininger said, “2018 will be a year of strong
growth for us. We are installing 13 additional wind power plants with a nominal
output of 39 MW, increasing our production capacity by 22%”.
According
to Steininger, this an important step in the fight against climate change as
the volume of electricity produced by these new wind power plants corresponds
to the consumption of more than 25,000 households. “Over the next four years,
the medium-sized company intends to build a further 18 wind power plants in
Austria, which have already been approved, providing a substantial boost to the
country’s wind power generation,” he said.
https://www.neweurope.eu/article/eu-bank-advances-e48-million-austrian-wind-farms/