Aug 10 2010
Etrion Corporation, a producer of solar energy, has inked a definitive purchase and sale contract for acquiring the Montalto solar energy plant with 33 MW capacity from SunPower Corp. for €48 million. The Montalto plant is the largest solar energy park in Italy.
Etrion Corporation CEO Marco Northland stated that the company intends to close the year 2010 with around 50 MW capacity in operation and over 150 MW capacity in pipeline meant for future development.
This plant is anticipated to generate more than 55 million kWh of electrical energy and around €22 million in cash flow annually. The plant comprises two projects situated on the same location in the region of Lazio near Rome, Italy. The first project with 24 MW capacity was connected to the power grid in November 2009. With 9 MW capacity, the second project is presently under construction slated for completion by August 2010. The two projects are solar PV, ground-based power plants utilizing the single-axis tracker technology and high-efficiency PV modules of SunPower.
Presently, the 24-MW project has a facility contract with WestLB, Banca Infrastrutture Innovazione e Sviluppo (Intesa Sanpaolo Group) and Société Générale for €107 million. The participation of Société Générale in this financing is guaranteed in part by SACE, an export credit agency in Italy.