Sustained Development of VERBUND in Italy: Participation in Interpower
VERBUND, Austria’s leading electricity company, has continued to develop its involvement in Italy, by acquiring a share in the Italian distribution company Energia group.
“Local production capacities of currently more than 6,000 gigawatt-hours mean a further growth potential for the already very successful VERBUND-associated company Energia”, said Hans Haider, chairman of the VERBUND board of management today, Wednesday.
The growth potential of Energia, in which VERBUND holds a 26 % interest, is to be mobilized through electricity purchase warrants from Italian power plants and the construction of new power plants: By upgrading and thus increasing the efficiency of the three thermal plants of Interpower - which also has 17 small hydroelectric power stations - the present annual output is to be more than doubled to approximately 15,000 GWh. “The result will be a production capacity of approximately one fourth of the whole Austrian power consumption or more than one third of Italy’s electricity imports”, added Dr. Guenther Rabensteiner, head of VERBUND-Italia.
Furthermore, Energia obtained a positive environmental impact assessment for the new 800-megawatt steam electric power plant Termoli.