Edison more than doubles wind power output in €200 million upgrade project

MILAN, June 26 (Reuters) - Edison has completed the full reconstruction of its wind farm portfolio in the central Italian region of Abruzzo, more than doubling the renewable power production of the plants, the Italian unit of French nuclear group EDF said on Friday.

• Edison is aiming to raise its renewable capacity from 2.3 gigawatt currently to 4 GW by 2030, making renewables 40% of its power generation mix.

• It said it cut the number of turbines on mountain ridges in Abruzzo by 73% and invested more than €200 million ($228.18 million) in the project.

• As a result, annual renewable electricity production from the wind portfolio has increased 2.5 times to 355 gigawatt hours (GWh), enough to meet the power needs of more than 131,000 households.

• "Projects like this provide tangible proof that the energy transition can successfully combine technological innovation, environmental sustainability, and local economic development," Edison CEO Nicola Monti said.

• Part of the new equipment comes from a Vestas plant in Italy, the utility said.

• Edison said updating plants could play a major role in Italian wind power growth, noting that those suitable for upgrades account for around 6 GW of the country's 13.5 GW of installed wind capacity.

• Modernisation of existing wind sites could potentially add more than 13 GW of renewable capacity, helping meet Italy's national target of 26 GW of installed wind power by 2030.

($1 = 0.8765 euros)

(Reporting by Francesca Landini and Giancarlo Navach; Editing by Joe Bavier)