A number of firsts in northern Italy

1 October 2008

Italy's Veneto region got its first wind turbine last month with the inauguration of a Leitwind 1.35 MW machine at Badia Calavena. It is the first turbine to be sold by Leitwind in its home country. The Leitwind LTW77, made in Bolzano, is also the first megawatt class machine to be installed in northern Italy. Technically it is relatively unusual in dispensing with a gearbox and using a synchronous permanent magnet generator. Blades are from LM Glasfiber.

A handful of Leitwind LTW77 turbines have already been installed in Austria, Bulgaria and India. While the basic LTW77 turbine has a rated capacity of 1.5 MW, the machine is available in a 1.35 MW version like that used in Badia Calavena. With the turbine installed on the 870-metre Monte Pecora to the north of Verona, the town of Badia Calavena is hoping to become a centre of attraction for renewable energy.

Thomas Erlacher of Leitwind says the company is intending to erect a further six 1.5 MW turbines in Italy before the end of the year.