Energy company Eni and developer Mainstream Renewable Power have signed a co-operation agreement to develop large-scale renewable assets and are targeting opportunities to build offshore windfarms in the UK’s Round 4
Eni and Mainstream will collaborate to potentially develop power generation from renewable sources in Africa and southeast Asia, with an initial focus on the UK.
Eni executive vice president energy solutions Luca Cosentino said, “Eni’s commitment to renewable projects is one of the main pillars of the company’s decarbonisation strategy. We believe this new partnership with Mainstream will bring additional value to our renewables business, especially in the area of offshore wind.”
Mainstream group chief executive Andy Kinsella said, “We are delighted to announce this co-operation agreement with Eni. Our joint participation in the UK’s Offshore Round 4 will combine our leadership position, expertise and track record in the offshore wind sector with Eni’s experience in offshore energy infrastructure, its commitment to decarbonise the energy system and its robust balance sheet in what is a capital-intensive business.
“Mainstream’s mission is to accelerate the global transition to renewable energy, and we believe the energy majors must play a fundamental role in effecting that change. As Europe moves towards Net Zero by 2050, offshore wind power will play the central role in decarbonisation,” Mr Kinsella said.
Eni is developing renewable energy projects worldwide and plans to install 1.6 GW of new solar, wind and storage capacity by 2022 and 5 GW by 2025.
Mainstream has developed, consented and brought to the ‘ready to build’ stage 35% of the UK’s 2020 offshore wind capacity, comprising the 3.0-GW Hornsea offshore windfarms (sold to Ørsted in 2016 and currently the world’s largest offshore windfarm under construction), and the 450-MW Neart na Gaoithe offshore windfarm in Scotland, which it sold to EDF Renewables in 2018.
Mainstream is also developing the 800-MW Phu Cuong Soc Trang offshore windfarm in Vietnam and has prequalified for the 1.0-GW offshore wind tender in Gujarat, India.
The Crown Estate launched Offshore Wind Leasing Round 4, opening up the potential for at least 7 GW of new seabed rights for offshore wind development in the waters around England and Wales, earlier this month.
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