Italian energy major ENI, through its local renewable subsidiary Arm Wind LLP, inaugurated the Badamshah 2 wind farm in the Aktobe region of Kazakhstan on March 2.
The event was attended by representatives of national, regional and local organizations and Italian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Marco Alberti, ENI said in a press release.
Badamsha 2 wind farm was awarded to ENI following an auction conducted by the Kazakh Ministry of Energy and entered commercial operation in September 2021, about 12 months after construction began.
The Badamasha 2 wind farm is ENI’s second wind project in the Aktobe region, doubling the installation capacity of the Badamasha 1 48 MW wind farm that was commissioned in early 2020 and is now fully operational.
According to the Italian energy company, to date Badamshah 2’s wind turbines are the largest installed in Kazakhstan, in terms of size (rotor diameter 158 m, hub 101 m) and power (4.8 MW each) and it is expected to deliver. Annual power generation of up to 200 GWh, equivalent to the energy costs of about 37,000 households, and the overall CO2 savings of 173,000 tons per year. Badamshah 2 Wind Farm has also promoted local job creation, with a maximum of 300 people working on the construction site this year.
Following a separate auction in late 2019, Eni was also awarded a 50 MW photovoltaic project in the Turkestan region, which is currently under construction.
ENI said the projects would be in line with the company’s broader commitment to energy transfer and decarbonization and contribute to Kazakhstan’s goal of carbon neutrality. ArmWind, which is wholly owned by Eni gas e luce – Plenitude (100% ENI), will implement Eni’s strategy of renewable business, aiming to achieve a renewable portfolio of more than 6 gigawatts by 2025 and more than 15 gigawatts by 2030.
