Enel Green Power once again breaks its own record for renewable capacity built in a single year

• Enel Green Power built 3,106 MW of renewable capacity in 2020, beating its previous record, which it set in 2019 with 3,029 MW.
• The new capacity built in 2020, which is expected to generate around 11.3 TWh per year, will avoid the annual emission of 6.86 million tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere.

Rome: Enel Green Power (EGP)[1] has set a new record in 2020 by building 3,106 MW of new renewable capacity all over the world, 77 MW more (+2.5%) compared to the renewable capacity built in 2019.

“Once again, Enel Green Power has successfully surpassed its own record, despite the challenging environment considering the COVID-19 pandemic, which is without question one of the greatest challenges of our time. We achieved this by putting at the core of our activities the safety of all our colleagues, as well as that of communities and people who are an essential part of our value chain,” said Salvatore Bernabei, CEO of Enel Green Power. “This milestone consolidates our position as the ‘Super Major’ in the renewable sector, operating the world’s largest private renewable generation fleet. In the near future, we will not only continue pursuing this path, but we will also accelerate our sustainable growth, in line with the Enel Group’s 2030 Vision, which envisages a total renewable capacity target of around 145 GW.”

The new renewable capacity built by EGP in 2020 includes around 46 facilities, mainly wind (2,284 MW) and solar (803 MW). Furthermore, EGP refurbished and repowered about 1.2 GW of plants in operation (250 MW wind, 847 MW hydro and 73 MW geothermal) over the course of the year.

In terms of geographies, the new capacity is distributed as follows:

• 508 MW in Europe, mainly in Spain;
• 879 MW in Latin America, mainly in Brazil;
• 1,386 MW in North America, mainly in the United States;
• 333 MW in Africa, Asia and Oceania.

With these 3,106 MW built in 2020, EGP now manages around 49 GW of total renewable capacity, confirming it as the renewable ‘Super Major’, the largest private renewable player at global level. Once fully up and running, this new capacity is set to generate around 11.3 TWh per year, while avoiding the annual emission of 6.86 million tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere. This milestone contributes to the Enel Group’s goal to limit its direct greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions to 148 gCO_2eq/kWh in 2023, putting the Group well on track to achieve its 2030 science-based decarbonization target of 80% direct GHG emission reduction versus 2017, in line with the 1.5°C pathway.

EGP managed to beat this record in a year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the construction process of this new renewable capacity, the Group has always made the protection of the health of its workers, employees and the community where it operates the main priority.

This milestone confirms Enel’s commitment to continue increasing its renewable capacity, with a global geographic footprint, as also highlighted in its 2030 Vision, which foresees a total renewable capacity of around 145 GW by 2030. The growth of EGP’s renewable capacity is in line with the Enel Group’s goal to fully decarbonize its generation mix by 2050.

Enel Green Power, within the Enel Group, is 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 total capacity of around 49 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.

[1]  Enel Green Power SpA and its subsidiaries, as well as the other renewable energy companies of the Enel Group

Source: enelgreenpower