Italian job for energy firm

SCOTTISH and Southern Energy's renewable energy development division has entered into a joint venture with an Italian wind farm firm.

The Scottish firm's Airtricity division will own 60 per cent of the firm, while its new Italian partner Entropya will own 40 per cent.

The joint venture company will be based in Lecce in Puglia, southern Italy, and will develop a portfolio of wind farm sites across Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily.

In March 2008, SSE said it expected to invest, on an equity basis, a total of around £500 million in renewable energy in new markets over the next five years.

Paul Dowling, Aitricity's chief executive, said: "This deal with Entropya marks the start of our development in Italy, one of the most attractive renewable energy markets in Europe."