Google Buys Output From Two New Nordic Wind Farms

Google has bought future output from two yet to be built wind power farms in Norway and Sweden to power its data centres in Europe, the company and farm developers said on Thursday.

Google said in a separate statement it has also agreed to buy power from a smaller wind farm project in Sweden, putting the total newly acquired capacity at 236 megawatts (MW).

Norway's Zephyr and Norsk Vind Energi said the 50-turbine, 160-megawatt capacity onshore Tellenes wind farm south of Stavanger is expected to be fully operational in late 2017, when it would become the largest wind farm in the country.

In Sweden Google is buying power from a 22-turbine project near Mariestad, central Sweden, which will be completed by early 2018.

The value of the deals was not disclosed.

"Google has been carbon-neutral since 2007 and we are committed to powering 100 percent of our operations with renewable energy sources," said Marc Oman, EU Energy Lead, Google Global Infrastructure.

"Today's announcement, Google's first wind power deal in Norway and the largest to date in Europe, is an important step towards that commitment," he added.

Funds managed by BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, will provide equity financing for the project, the developers said in a statement.

New Nordic power purchase agreements add to Google's three previous deals in Sweden, and brings the total capacity of its renewable power purchases in Europe to 500 MW, the company said.

© Thomson Reuters 2016