wiredinUSA November 2013

Croatian wind farm

Steel wires on the up – and down

The third steel rope in the history of the funicular railway in Saint Hilaire du Touvet, France, is currently in production at ArcelorMittal’s site in Bourg-en-Bresse, France. The 1,600m high-tensile strength steel wire cable, due to be installed later this year, will connect the towns of Saint Hilaire and Montfort, in the Rhône-Alpes region. Around 40,000 people use the railway every year. Inaugurated in 1924 the railway has 80 percent of its slope on a 45 percent incline, and at its steepest reaches an 83 percent incline. The rope was replaced for the first time in 1972, and is now due to be replaced again after 41 years.

President of the Croatian Republic, Ivo Josipović, has inaugurated the 30MW Jelinak wind farm. It is the first to be installed by ACCIONA Energía in the country and is capable of covering the electricity demandof over 30,000Croatian households. ACCIONA is the first Spanish wind power developer to put a wind farm into service in the country. Located in the region of Split-Dalmatia, the Jelinak wind farm utilizes 20 1.5MW turbines. It will produce around 81 million kilowatt-hours per year, and replace fossil fuel equivalent to about 48,000 barrels of oil in the same period. It will also avoid the emission of 77,841 metric tonnes of CO 2 into the atmosphere from conventional coal-fired power stations, with a cleaning effect on the air similar to that of almost four million trees. This wind farm is the first of a series that ACCIONA Energía plans to implement in Croatia. Thecompany is currently applying for a further two wind farms in the country, with a total capacity of 78MW.

wiredInUSA - November 2013

32