28/07/2013 00:00
TW
0

WITH fresh questions being asked about the Balearics' ability to meet growing power demand, perhaps the solution can be found in Minorca.
The Balearics' first wind power farm is ready to start operating in Mahón and it is forecast that the windmills will start to function as electricity generators between the end of September and the beginning of October. The installation, the first phase of the project, was carried out under the auspices of MADE which is a subsidiary company of GESA, the Balearics energy supply organisation. MADE was sold hardly a month ago to the third largest wind-powered energy company in the world, GAMESA. MADE has undertaken the works on the premise of handing over the project on completion totally “ready to go”. The wind farm, which has cost 3'144'240 euros to construct, has been funded through a third party financing agreement between the Council of Minorca and an Energy Saving Institute (IDAE). The Minorcan government, as promoter, will repay the capital invested by IDAE through means of income obtained by the sale of electric energy generated by the company GESA-ENDESA. According to the engineer Xavier Rosselló, it is forecast that the investment made will be paid back in 12 years, and from that time on, the wind farm will be a profit-making concern. Those benefiting will be the Council of Minorca and 8 town hall authorities on the island that participate in an urban waste control programme (CRSU). The installation of the mills that reach a height of 79.50 metres is only the first phase of the works. A schedule for setting up a control and handling centre is still ongoing. Likewise, the electricity infrastructure and its transportation system are still awaiting execution by the Balearic energy company GESA-ENDESA. The wind farm, which is a pilot scheme in the Balearics, will have an installed power capacity of 3.2 megawatts. The forecast power output will reach 7.040 MWh per year.