Facebook and Luxcara sign 294MW Norwegian wind deal

Facebook and European asset manager Luxcara have entered into long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) for 100 percent of the output and environmental (green) attributes of three contiguous wind projects (Gravdal, Skinansfjellet and Eikeland-Steinsland) in southwest Norway. In addition, Facebook and Swedish power company Vattenfall have signed long-term supply and service agreements for integrating the wind power into the electric grid.

The projects, known collectively as the Bjerkreim cluster, will consist of 70 wind turbines of 4.2 megawatts each and should reach commercial operation during the fourth quarter 2019. The energy will be used to power Facebook’s data centers in Denmark and Sweden.

Facebook’s PPAs will provide the long-term financial certainty needed for the projects, which comprise an aggregate investment exceeding €400 million ($470 million), to be financed, constructed and operated by Luxcara. The 294 megawatts of capacity are projected to add more than 1 million megawatt hours of new clean and renewable energy to the Nordic grid each year.

The projects are part of a portfolio of renewable energy assets for institutional investors managed by Luxcara. Once operational, Bjerkreim and Egersund, another project that was recently connected to the grid, reportedly will increase Luxcara’s wind-energy portfolio in Norway to more than 400 megawatts.