Opening of First Italian W.E.B Wind Power Plant

Lower Austrian Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf celebrated with W.E.B and its shareholders

Within the context of this year’s shareholder trip, the participants travelled to Piombino in Tuscany. There the Foce del Cornia wind power plant was officially opened. The ceremony was attended by Stephan Pernkopf, Deputy Governor of Lower Austria, Frank Dumeier und Michael Trcka, the two members of the W.E.B Board of Directors, several W.E.B employees and the Italian W.E.B team at Windpark Foce del Cornia.

“Lower Austria is a trailblazer when it comes to climate protection and the energy transition. In particular, we have succeeded in cooperation with innovative domestic companies such as W.E.B“, said Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf at the opening of the new power plant. “Since 2015 we have managed to generate 100% of our electricity needs from renewable energy sources. This not only helps the climate but also the economy. This is because we already have 40,000 green jobs in Lower Austria at the present time, many of which in rural areas such as Pfaffenschlag, where W.E.B has had its corporate headquarters for 25 years”, he added.

“We began as a startup in the Waldviertel region and have become an international company for the energy transition”, stated W.E.B CEO Frank Dumeier. “When people talk about climate change today, we have been part of the solution for 25 years. Now we are also pleased to help Tuscany with our know-how. This is not only because we support climate protection, but also because it comprises a business opportunity for us, and we can thus create additional jobs in the Waldviertel area”, CEO Dumeier continued.

Tuscany can currently cover about 40% of its energy requirements from renewable energy. Federica Fratoni, Regional Councilor of Tuscany, said: “The expansion of renewable energies is very important for us at present, and we do not want to use any more fossil fuels by the year 2050. We would like to have a mix of different power sources i.e. geothermal, solar and wind energy. We have a clearly-defined plan to achieve these targets and will continue to work on developing further wind farms featuring a total output of 150 MW”.

W.E.B CFO Michael Trcka added: “Always remaining in the Waldviertel is our recipe for success. When one can rely on the entire team at any time, then we can also manage projects such as the one in Tuscany, and thus also grow in our home region in the Waldviertel. We have developed a spirit which can be felt in our team, and this is also perceived by our many shareholders, who have believed in us from the very beginning.” 

In December 2016, W.E.B already won the tender process. The excavators went into operation in the summer of 2018, commencing construction work. The wind farm consists of six Vestas V136 wind turbines with a total output of 19.8 MW. It is located in an old industrial area directly on the Tuscan coast and will supply clean electricity for more than 30,000 people every year. Annual CO₂ savings equal close to 35,000 tons.