Enel Green Power North America (EGPNA) has started construction of the 150MW Aurora utility-scale distributed photovoltaic (PV) solar project in the US state of Minnesota.
EGPNA subsidiary Aurora Distributed Solar owns the $290m project, which will feature 16 PV plants.
Upon completion, the project will generate more than 210 million kWh of electricity per year, which will power over 17,000 homes in the US.
The project will reduce more than 150,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. All 16 sites are anticipated to be online by the end of this year.
The project will feature a distributed solar design that includes the installation of several small-scale solar sites.
It offers a range of benefits such as a reduction in line loss, elimination of transmission costs and geographic diversification of generation assets.
Enel Green Power North America head Rafael Gonzalez said: "The Aurora project marks a significant step forward in the growth of our solar portfolio.
"By maximising the distributed solar model, Aurora highlights how innovation and design are driving the future of renewables, while providing communities with access to energy that delivers both the biggest possible environmental benefits and the most economic value."
For the Aurora project, EGPNA has entered into a long-term power purchase agreement with Xcel Energy.
Each of the 16 solar plants will use a linear axis tracking devices to maximise efficiency and production. They will be inter-linked into off-taker’s distribution system and supply energy and capacity to local distribution networks.
Image: Enel Green Power North America to construct 150MW solar farm in Minnesota. Photo: Courtesy of franky242/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.