BKW acquires the largest authorized wind project in Italy*

* Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

Together with Switzerland, Germany and France, Italy is one of BKW’s core markets for energy production. BKW already owns 11 wind farms with an installed capacity of about 240 MW in the southern Italian regions of Puglia and Basilicata, and operates more than 500 wind turbines in Italy. In total, BKW produces electricity from wind power for around 150,000 households in the country. BKW is now expanding this portfolio with two wind projects in Puglia – Cerignola North and Cerignola South – consisting of 31 turbines and having a planned installed capacity of 130 MW. The two wind farms are planned to be connected to the power grid by the end of 2025 and will produce around 335 gigawatt hours of sustainable electricity per year. Furthermore, BKW owns a pipeline of solar PV projects in development stage in Italy and operates and services solar plants for various asset owners.

“I am very pleased about this substantial expansion of our presence in the attractive Italian power market. With the acquisition of the Cerignola wind projects we are broadening our energy value chain activities, stepping in earlier before the construction phase of the projects. This allows us to shape optimally all procurement, energy and plant management agreements in order to create maximum value and rejuvenate our renewable plants portfolio in Italy”, says Margarita Aleksieva, Head Wind and Solar at BKW. This acquisition fits perfectly BKW’s wind portfolio. There are special synergies when it comes to maintaining and operating the plants as well as marketing the energy. BKW is one of the leading independent service providers for renewable assets in Italy and, thanks to its presence across the entire service chain, can operate own plants and manage effectively third-party assets.

Attractive project pipeline in Switzerland

The two wind farms in Puglia increase BKW’s installed capacity for new renewables to around 1,100 MW, meaning that once the wind farms are in operation BKW will significantly exceed its target of having an installed capacity of 1,000 MW by 2026. It will continue to invest in renewable energy – especially in Switzerland, where it has an attractive project pipeline. This includes the Trift and Grimselsee hydropower projects, the Tramelan and Jeanbrenin wind farms, the freestanding solar installation BelpmoosSolar, along with a number of alpine PV installations, particularly in the Canton of Bern. This autumn, together with Energie Thun, BKW will also commission the Augand run-of-river power station, which will produce electricity for around 7,700 households.

BKW drives alpine PV installations forward and supports round tables

With its Solar Express initiative, the government is promoting large-scale PV installations, which provide a significant contribution towards winter energy production. The Canton of Bern is eager to pursue this solar-energy strategy and has conducted three round tables on this topic in three different regions. BKW welcomes the initiative and how it enables alpine PV installation projects to be implemented in a timely manner. BKW is playing a leading role in this expansion of freestanding solar installations. As a distribution system operator, BKW ensures that electricity is transported and distributed. In total, 25 technical connection applications for alpine solar installations have been submitted for the company’s grid area. In its capacity as an energy producer, BKW has reviewed various locations for such installations and has submitted multiple technical connection applications. At some locations it has already commissioned environmental impact assessments.

BKW believes that alpine freestanding installations are key to ensuring secure electricity supply – especially in the winter months, when Switzerland relies on electricity imports and PV installations in the Swiss Plateau produce less electricity than in the summer. BKW welcomes the collaborative approach that round tables offer and collaborates closely and in a number of ways with those involved. The company is open to collaboration while also driving forward its own projects. Yet, it is also clear that the obstacles for many projects may be greater than might be expected, due to the Solar Express initiative. These obstacles include the approval process, which remains complex despite legal efforts to speed it up.