German energy company, innogy, has begun construction on its first U.S. onshore wind farm. The 250-MW Scioto Ridge project in Hardin and Logan Counties, Ohio will consist of 75 Siemens Gamesa wind turbines.
In 2018, innogy acquired a 2 GW project pipeline, which included over 20 onshore wind projects at various stages of development. The projects are spread across eight U.S. states (Maine, Maryland, Montana, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington and West Virginia).
“Today is an important milestone for innogy. Only one year since acquiring a two gigawatt pipeline of onshore wind projects, we are now implementing our first wind farm in the U.S.,” said Hans Bünting, Chief Operating Officer of Renewables at innogy. “With Scioto Ridge, innogy’s successful U.S. market entry becomes visible. Ohio’s place in the heartland of the U.S. offers ideal conditions for renewable energy and is considered as an attractive market for clean energy investment.”
Wind operations for Scioto Ridge are expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2020. The total investment of the projects is more than $300 million.
“Scioto Ridge will supply the equivalent of more than 60,000 Ohio homes annually with renewable electricity. The project represents a significant contribution to the area, injecting over $75 million in new revenues over the next 25 years to the local governments, school districts, and landowners,” said Jason Dagger, Scioto Ridge project manager at Innogy Renewables US LLC. “Over 100 Hardin and Logan County families will also directly benefit from the project. innogy is proud to be a member of this community.”
He added: “Pre-construction activities have begun onsite, and commencement of full construction is planned for the third quarter of 2019. Once we are totally underway, Scioto Ridge will host over 150 short-term construction jobs and up to 10 full-time, long-term operations jobs. This project is a win-win for the local economy.”
innogy also has plans for two New York wind projects, including the 126-MW Cassadaga and 240-MW Baron Winds projects. Commercial operation for both projects is also expected in the fourth quarter of 2020. The company says it is also seeking new market and project acquisition opportunities across the U.S.
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