ESB International to build two wind farms in the Basque Region of northern Spain

ESB International (ESBI) is to build two wind farms in northern Spain at a cost of €150 million. The company confirmed on Wednesday, April 23rd that the Basque Regional Government had awarded it development rights for the two 50 MW wind farms.

The wind farms are scheduled to be completed and operational by 2012. They will supply a total of 100 megawatts of electricity to the Spanish National Grid. This output will be sufficient to meet the energy needs of 100, 000 homes in the Basque region. Commenting on the new developments, Philip Clarke, Business Development Manager Europe ESBI said, "This significant investment in clean technology represents ESB's continuing commitment to developing renewable energy May 2008 www.esb.ie/em sources at home and overseas and is part of the company's expansion abroad".

He added; "The development of the wind farms are also commensurate with the renewable energy objectives set out in ESB's recently announced €22 billion investment plan, €11 billion of which will be directed at renewables".

The construction of the wind farms in the Basque Country will be managed by the team that built the Amorebieta natural gas power plant near Bilbao, which is in commercial operation since 2005. In addition to the wind farms, ESBI is currently studying the feasibility of developing solar thermal generation projects in the south of Spain as well as a major combined cycle gas power plant in Asturias in northwest Spain.