Project Focus: SunEdison receives go-ahead for largest plant in Europe

SunEdison has received final approval from the Italian government to develop and construct what will be the largest solar power plant in Europe. The 72MW project will be based in Northeastern Italy, near the town of Rovigo.

The company will jointly develop the project with financing partner Banco Santander. Additional financial partners are expected to join the project for final ownership.

"SunEdison is focused on enabling the growth of global solar markets through strong capabilities in project finance, engineering, low-cost procurement and operations and maintenance services," commented Carlos Domenech, president of SunEdison.

"Veneto is taking decisive action to advance the use of clean, renewable energy sources," said Renzo Marangon, government official of the Veneto region. "At the same time, this project is expected to create over 350 local construction jobs and build expertise in advanced energy technologies. We expect Rovigo to serve as a European model for large-scale, alternative-energy projects."

"A critical element of our approach is working closely with the right partners," added Pancho Perez, general manager for Europe and MENA region at SunEdison, "including developers, suppliers and contractors. For the Rovigo project, we selected Isolux Corsan, a large-scale infrastructure construction company with a strong track record in utility-scale solar plants."

"We are pleased to be selected by SunEdison to construct the largest PV solar plant in Europe. We are looking forward to extending this partnership beyond Italy," said Luis Delso, president of Isolux Corsan.

The largest facility in Europe to-date is a 60MW solar farm in Olmedilla, Spain, followed by a 50MW in Strasskirchen, Germany, built by MEMC through a joint venture agreement.

Power generation will begin at the Rovigo project in the second half of 2010 with final completion expected by year-end. No further details about the project were supplied.