VERBUND-Austrian Renewable Power buys photovoltaic power plant in Spain
On 23 April 2008, Verbund subsidiary VERBUND-Austrian Renewable Power GmbH confirmed the purchase of a 2 MW photovoltaic power plant in the Andalusian province of Jaen. The plant was established by KIOTO Photovoltaics Iberica, a Spanish subsidiary of Austrian company KIOTO Clear Energy AG, and will go into operation in September 2008.
With the acquisition of this photovoltaic plant, Verbund is sending another signal regarding its expansion policy in terms of sustainable energy production.
Key data for the photovoltaic power plant
The plant's annual product amounts to around 3.7 million kWh — therewith, some 1000 households can be supplied with electricity from environmentally friendly solar energy every year. Approximately 11,000 photovoltaic modules have been installed on a surface comparable to around 15 football pitches. Austrian know-how is being employed: the modules are produced by the company KIOTO from St. Veit/Carinthia.
Spain: An attractive photovoltaic market
It is important to realise production plants on those sites in which the appropriate primary energy sources are also available: Spain is one of the sunniest countries in Europe and has access to optimum irradiation levels. The Spanish solar market is developing with an incredible dynamism. Up until the end of January 2008 alone, there were supply confirmations of around 624 MW for photovoltaic plants.
KIOTO Clear Energy AG
The Austrian company based in St. Veit/Carinthia is a group of strongly growing companies in the solar energy segment. The KIOTO Group operates in the growth sectors of solar thermal and photovoltaic energy and, with more than 400 employees, generated a turnover of around 100 million euro in 2007. With three industrial manufacturing centres in Austria, KIOTO Clear Energy belongs to the European market leaders in the sector of solar collectors and puts great emphasis on research and development. In the photovoltaic business segment, KIOTO produces high quality modules at the St. Veit site and develops turn-key photovoltaic power plants throughout Europe.
VERBUND-Austrian Renewable Power GmbH
VERBUND-Austrian Renewable Power GmbH (ARP) is a 100 percent subsidiary of the Österreichische Elektrizitätswirtschafts-AG (Verbund).
Founded in autumn 2007, the company has the goal of expanding Verbund´s already very environmentally friendly generation-mix by means of additional power plant capacities in the new renewable energies sector (wind power, photovoltaics, small-scale hydropower, biomass, geothermic energy etc.). ARP strives to technically and economically further develop an energy production that is environmentally and climatically friendly, as well as resource protecting, and to safeguard this sustainably.