Danish wind farm acquired
Published: 24 August, 2017
Aquila Capital reports it has acquired a wind energy project in Denmark near Kappel on Lolland with an installed capacity of over 25 MW. With the acquisition, Aquila Capital’s transaction volume in the wind sector has now surpassed 1,000 MW.
The project consists of seven wind turbines, all of which are 3.6 MW, by Danish manufacturer Vestas. Six of these are V117 turbines and one is a V126 turbine. The project has entered into a long-term full maintenance contract with Vestas. Due to the project being already operational and takeover having occurred subsequent to final technical examination and certification Aquila Capital is not exposed to any construction risk. Seller of the windpark is European Energy AS.
Denmark offers excellent conditions for wind energy investments, as evidenced by average wind speeds of 8.5 m/s at turbine hub height of this project. Operators of wind energy projects in Denmark receive a feed-in premium for a defined number of full-load hours in addition to the market price realized at the Nordpool electricity exchange. In the case of onshore wind turbines, the premium amounts are up to DKK 250/MWh (approximately EUR 34/MWh). In addition, wind farm operators receive compensation for grid stabilization charges during the first 20 years of operation after grid connection.
Susanne Wermter, head of energy & infrastructure EMEA at Aquila Capital, said: “Due to the conditions of the region, Northern Europe is very attractive for wind energy investments. For the project on Lolland, we were also able to secure one of the last projects to receive a high feed-in premium.”
Roman Rosslenbroich, CEO and co-founder of Aquila Capital, said: “The combination of excellent wind ressources with a very transparent support scheme means Denmark offers an attractive diversification to the wind energy projects we manage. Due to the highly professional sector environment and the well-developed market for commercial power purchase agreements, we believe Denmark will continue to offer an appealing environment for professional investments.”
