Endesa, Spain's largest power company, has received authorization to build and start up new wind farms and mini hydro plants this year, requiring an investment of E286 million.
The company said that the projects would add 277-megawatts to its generation capacity.
Facilities already under construction and expected to come on stream in 2005 include the wind farms at Pena Ventosa and Chan do Tenon in Galicia, Las Hoyuelas in Castilla La Mancha and P.E. Saso Plan in Aragon, representing an investment of E144 million and overall capacity of 146-megawatts.
In line with its strategic plan, Endesa aims to bring its gross installed renewable/CHP capacity up to 4,423-megawatts by 2009, increasing the weighting of this type of power to around 14% of its total output. According to Endesa, this will mark a major step forward in the diversification of its generation mix and put the company on track towards meeting its environmental protection targets.
In 2005-2009, some 2,224-megawatts of wind power, 78-megawatts mini hydro plants, 102-megawatts of solid waste and biomass fuelled plants and 39-megawatts of co-generation capacity are to be built.