Russia Plans its Largest Wind Farm and 1st Major Solar Plant

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Russia, heavily focused on oil and gas, has just unveiled plans to build its biggest wind farm. The country also intends to build its first solar power plant soon. Are the heat waves and fires getting to the country and President Medvedev?

Perhaps, but Medvedev has been talking about diversifying Russia’s energy base and economy for a little while now.

“The development of alternative energy sources is in line with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s move to diversify the country’s economy, which is heavily dependent on oil and gas exports,” Russian news agency RIA Novosti reports.

“The plant, to be located near the city of Yeisk, on the coast of the Sea of Azov, will initially produce 50MW of energy annually, with its capacity then expected to rise to 100MW a year.”

Public and private sources are investing the $200 million needed for this project.

You have to love the way the Rostovteploelektroproekt company, the main company working on the project, translates for normal folks the 200 billion kilowatt-hours of energy a year the project will create — it’s the “same amount of energy needed… to bake 17.6 trillion loaves of bread.”

“Russia also intends to build its first solar plant in the North Caucasus resort city of Kislovodsk. Chernyavsky said on Thursday that construction, which will require 3 billion rubles ($99 million), may begin in 2011,” RIA Novosti reports. This plant will have a general capacity of 13 MW.

More information on the Yeisk Wind Project.
Russia Plans its Largest Wind Farm and 1st Major Solar Plant : CleanTechnica