Enel sets a new record for renewable energy installation

Italian multinational energy company Enel has broken its own record for renewable energy capacity built in a single year. Through its subsidiary, Enel Green Power, the utility has set a new record by installing 3,106MW of new renewable capacity in 2020.

This is 77MW more (+2.5%) compared to the amount of renewable energy capacity which the energy firm installed in 2019. Enel Green Power has built around 46 renewable energy facilities around the world, mainly wind (2,284MW) and solar (803MW).

The energy company also refurbished and repowered about 1.2GW of plants in operation (250MW wind, 847MW hydro and 73MW geothermal) over the course of the year.

The projects built in 2020 increases the amount of capacity being managed by Enel to 49GW.

Once fully operational, the renewable energy capacity added in 2020 will generate around 11.3TWh per year, while avoiding the annual emission of 6.86 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.

This milestone contributes to the Enel Group’s goal to limit its direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 148 gCO2eq/kWh in 2023, putting the Group well on track to achieve its 2030 science-based decarbonisation target of 80% direct GHG emission reduction versus 2017, in line with the 1.5°C pathway.

Enel has set a target to increase its total renewable energy capacity to around 145GW by 2030 and to fully decarbonise its generation mix by 2050.

The milestone also makes Enel the largest private renewable player at global level.