Published 30 December 2009

The OPDE group and the regional government of Piedmont (Italy) will sign on Friday 8th October, a collaboration protocol under which the Spanish multinational will build a total of 17 solar facilities in the Italian region that will together produce, 75 MW of installed capacity.

The construction and start up of the facilities will be located in the provinces of Cuneo, Asti and Alessandria, and will take place in the period between October 2009 and December 2010.

The ambitious solar photovoltaic partnership agreement has been approved by the regional executive, who has pledged to speed up the bureaucratic processes for its implementation, while the OPDE Group ensures its stable presence in the Piedmont region during the next few years. The OPDE Group hopes to create 125 new jobs, from a total of 375 direct and indirect posts which will become available from the ambitious solar photovoltaic project, meaning an important economic driver for the region of Piedmont.

The project submitted by the OPDE Group involves a three-stage development. The first, planned to be completed in early 2010 - provides the implementation of 7 solar photovoltaic farms that will obtain 31 MW of installed capacity. These plants will be located at:

• CN11c: Fossano (Cuneo) with 5.6 MWp
• CN10: Ceva Lesegno (Cuneo) with 7.3 MWp
• AT01: Bubbio (Asti) with 5.3 MWp
• AL03: Quattordio (Alessandria) with 1.9 MWp
• AL04a: Casale Monferrato (Alessandria) with 1.9 MWp
• AL04b: Rosignano Monferrato (Alessandria) with 5.0 MWp
• AL07a: Quargnento (Alessandria) with 4.0 MWp

TOTAL 2009: 31 MW representing a total investment of €150 Mill

Similarly, in this first phase the operation and maintenance centre of the company RÍOS- part of the group- will come into operation as well as MECASOLAR´s solar trackers and fixed structures in Turin (capital of Piedmont), which will also act as a Logistics Centre and from where the OPDE Group intends to supply the solar PV market in France, Germany and Eastern European countries.

The second phase will take place in 2010 with the construction of a further ten solar power plants with an installed capacity of 45 MW, representing a total investment in this second phase of €170 Mill in the region. The third phase will focus on collaboration with technology centres and universities to launch a Centre for Research on Photovoltaic Solar Energy.

Source: OPDE