TrustEnergy invests 45 million in wind farms

TrustEnergy is going to invest more than 45 million euros to over-equip several of its wind farms, thus increasing their total capacity by more than 10%.

The procedure known as over-equipping consists of replacing old turbines with new ones, but with greater power, allowing for an increase in capacity.

The first plant to be inaugurated is the Terras Altas de Fafe wind farm, which will be opened tomorrow, Tuesday, September 26.

The other three plants are the Ralo, Nave and Mourisca wind farms, in the municipalities of Celorico da Beira and Vila Nova de Paiva.

The project to over-equip the four wind farms made it possible to install "11 new Vestas V150 machines, increasing the installed capacity by 49.5 MW. TrustEnergy, pursuing its goals of ensuring clean energy for the national electricity system, is thus increasing its installed wind capacity by more than 10%, from 489 MW to 538.5 MW," according to the statement.

This operation "is part of a strategy to expand installed wind generation capacity and optimize existing injection points, contributing to a more sustainable energy system," the document reads.

The over-equipping of these wind farms "has the potential to supply electricity to a population of around 102,000 people and 42,000 homes, avoiding the emission of 63,600 tons of CO2. The Terras Altas de Fafe wind farm has the capacity to supply not only Fafe and Cabeceiras de Basto, but also other surrounding municipalities," according to the company.

The company points out that the "works for the over-equipment were carried out in adverse weather conditions, with sometimes high winds, high temperatures in the summer and heavy rain and snow in the winter".

"Today is a very important day for TrustEnergy, as it marks the realization of our commitment to producing energy from renewable sources in Portugal. But it also represents our commitment to the country's energy future, to local and national economies and to the environment," said José Grácio, CEO of TrustEnergy, in a statement about the inauguration of the super-equipment at the Terras Altas wind farm in Fafe.

TrustEnergy is a consortium made up of the French Engie and the Japanese Marubeni, and is the second largest player in the national electricity sector.