Division of Russia's Rosatom begins construction of 300 MW Novolak wind farm in Dagestan
MAKHACHKALA. Nov 27 (Interfax) - JSC Rosatom Renewable Energy, the wind energy division of Rosatom state corporation, has begun construction of the 300 MW Novolak Wind Farm in Dagestan, an Interfax correspondent reported from the foundation-laying ceremony.
The wind farm will be located in the Kumtorkalinsky and Novolak districts of Dagestan. It will have a planned average annual output of 879 million kWh. The site will have 120 wind turbines each with a capacity of 2.5 MW.
"Dagestan, along with other regions of Russia, is joining the development of green energy. The Novolak Wind Farm will become the largest wind farm in Russia, creating new jobs for our region and generating significant tax revenue," the head of Dagestan Sergei Melikov said during the ceremony.
The construction and commissioning of the wind farm will take place in two stages. The first involves installing and commissioning 61 wind turbines with a total capacity of 152.5 MW in 2025. The second stage will see 59 wind turbines with a total capacity of 147.5 MW being commissioned in 2026. The wind farm will be able to supply electricity to more than 240,000 households.
"Agriculture, industry, and tourism are developing energetically in Dagestan. Maintaining this growth will require a stable energy supply. Electricity consumption growth in Dagestan exceeds the national average. This of course necessitates projects that ensure accelerated energy development," Deputy Economic Development Minister Sergei Nazarov said.
Once construction and commissioning are complete, the land will be reclaimed and returned to agricultural use.
As previously reported, Rosatom's wind energy division received approval from Dagestan's Ministry of Construction for the Novolak Wind Farm project. Investment in the project will exceed 50 billion rubles, the region authorities said.
JSC Rosatom Renewable Energy, formerly NovaWind, is Rosatom's division implementing the state corporation's strategy of producing low-carbon energy from nuclear and wind sources.
In September 2022, Dagestan and NovaWind signed a five-year cooperation agreement to develop wind energy projects, including wind farms with a total capacity of up to 315 MW.