EIB provides loan to extend capacity of Pretul wind farm in Austria

The four new wind turbines will add capacity of 16.6 MW to the wind farm, which is located at the top of a mountain ridge near Pretulalpe at an altitude of about 1 600 metres above sea level.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has provided a loan to Österreichische Bundesforste AG to finance the construction and operation of four additional wind turbines to extend the capacity of the Pretul wind farm in the Austrian state of Styria. The overall project cost is estimated at €21 million.

The EIB has supported the Pretul wind farm from the very beginning, with an initial loan of €36.7 million to Österreichische Bundesforste granted in 2015 for the construction of a 42 MW wind farm consisting of 14 wind turbines with an output of 3 MW each, plus a 7 km line connecting them to an existing electricity substation. This wind farm has been in operation since 2017.

The four new wind turbines will add capacity of 16.6 MW to the wind farm, which is located at the top of a mountain ridge near Pretulalpe at an altitude of about 1 600 metres above sea level. Given the Alpine location, the project will be one of the first in Austria to use the latest turbine model designed for a cold climate.

The EIB financing will be provided in conjunction with the Austrian commercial bank Raiffeisenlandesbank Oberösterreich (RLB OÖ).

EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros said: "The additional wind turbines will increase electricity generation using renewable resources and help reduce carbon emissions and pollution compared to using fossil fuels. We are therefore proud to be part of this climate-friendly project."

"Especially in times like these, as a nature conservation enterprise we are committed to expanding the generation of renewable energy on our land in a way that is both sustainable and ecologically compatible, and thus to making a contribution to the energy turnaround in our country," added Executive Director of Österreichische Bundesforste AG Georg Schöppl.