Enel Green Power (“EGP”), the Enel Group's global business line dedicated to renewable energy, started construction today of the 90 MW Azov wind farm located in the Rostov region, Southern Russia, marking the Group’s first renewable project in Russia. The wind farm, which is also the Rostov region’s first-ever renewable facility, is owned by the Group’s subsidiary Enel Russia while EGP is in charge of construction activities after having completed the development stage. Today’s cornerstone laying ceremony for the Azov wind farm was attended by Enel Russia General Director Carlo Palasciano Villamagna, Governor of the Rostov region Vasiliy Golubev, Italian Ambassador to Russia Pasquale Terracciano and other regional authorities.

Antonio Cammisecra, Global Head of Enel Green Power, said: "With this new wind project, we are embarking upon our journey towards the creation of a renewable footprint in Russia. We are looking forward to producing energy with both our Russian wind farms, and we will continue scouting for new opportunities in this renewables-rich country. Moving ahead, we plan to further leverage on this wealth of resources and keep on fuelling Russia’s economy through an increasingly diversified generation mix.”

Enel Russia’s overall investment in the Azov wind farm amounts to approximately 132 million euros. The project is expected to enter into service by the end of 2020, and will be able to generate around 320 GWh of clean energy each year once fully operational, avoiding the annual emission of around 260,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. The wind facility will consist of 26 turbines spread across 133 hectares.

Enel Russia was awarded the Azov wind farm, along with the 201 MW Murmansk wind farm, for a total capacity of 291 MW, in the 2017 Russian government tender for the construction of 1.9 GW of wind capacity in the country. EGP is in charge of the development and construction of both projects. Enel Russia’s overall investment in the two facilities amounts to approximately 405 million euros, with the investment on the 201 MW wind farm amounting to around 273 million euros.

Enel Russia is a power generation company, controlled by Enel, which operates four thermal power plants in the Russian Federation with a total installed capacity of around 9.5 GW.

Enel Green Power is the global business line of the Enel Group dedicated to the development and operation of renewables across the world, with a presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Enel Green Power is a global leader in the green energy sector with a managed capacity of more than 43 GW across a generation mix that includes wind, solar, geothermal and hydropower, and is at the forefront of integrating innovative technologies into renewable power plants.