Enel breaks ground on 497MW Roadrunner solar plant in Texas

Solar industry news : Enel Green Power North America has broken ground on the 497 MW Roadrunner solar plant in Texas, which is expected to be the largest solar project in the US state.

The Roadrunner solar project, which is being built in Upton county, marks Enel’s second project to break ground in Texas this year after the 450MW High Lonesome wind project in January. It is also the largest solar facility in Enel’s US portfolio.

The new solar plant in Texas will be commissioned in two phases. The first phase with a capacity of 252 MW is expected to be placed into service by the end of this year. The remaining 245MW of capacity in the second phase is slated to be commissioned by the end of 2020.

The Roadrunner solar plant in Texas will be fully commissioned by the end of 2020. Photo courtesy of Enel Spa.

Upon being fully commissioned, the Roadrunner solar plant is expected to generate nearly 1.2 TWh of power annually while offsetting the emission of more than 80,000 million tons of CO2 a year.

Commenting on the Roadrunner solar plant, Georgios Papadimitriou – Head of Enel Green Power North America, said: “This plant is the latest major milestone for Enel’s operations in the US renewable market, where we have already started construction of projects for almost 1 GW this year.

“The US market is rich with opportunities for growth and has an increasing appetite for sustainable electricity. Projects like Roadrunner are indicative of our ability to capitalize on this trend while boosting the diversity of the business both in geography and technology.”

Currently, in Texas, Enel Green Power is operating the 63MW Snyder wind farm, which has been built in the Scurry County.

For more solar industry news and updates on the Roadrunner solar plant in Texas, keep following Business-News-Today.com.