- €113m financing package comprises €101m for Ariano and €12m for Apricena
- The Ariano and Apricena projects came online in July and November 2024 respectively
18th February 2025, Hanover, Germany – NORD/LB, the energy transition bank of choice, and W.E.B Group, a leading energy transition company, have announced that the Ariano (84MW) and Apricena (12MW) wind farms in Italy have both officially entered operation.
NORD/LB provided W.E.B Group with a €113m financing package to develop the two facilities, with the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark providing ECA cover for the Ariano financing.
Ariano consists of 20 Vestas V150-4.2 MW wind turbines, while Apricena comprises 4 Vestas V105-3.0 MW wind turbines. Both farms are located in southern Italy, with the electricity generated to be purchased by Terna – Italy’s national grid – powering over 60,000 households.
“At NORD/LB, we’re committed to financing complex and pioneering projects that accelerate Europe’s renewable energy transition”, said Pedro Capote Martín, Senior Director at NORD/LB. “The Ariano and Apricena wind farms will continue to help Italy – and Europe more broadly – to reach their ambitious net zero targets. We are thrilled to support W.E.B Group in furthering Italy’s decarbonisation programme.”
“NORD/LB’s deep knowledge and expertise in financing renewable energy projects have been essential in the development of the Ariano and Apricena wind farms,” said Reinhard Kainz, Country Manager Italy at W.E.B Group. “From the outset, they provided us with tailored advice and created a bespoke financing package that not only ensured the smooth development of the wind farms, but also secures their long-term future. We are also thankful for the support of the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark to this transaction.”
Italy has set ambitious renewable energy targets under the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), aiming for renewables to make up 30% of its total energy consumption by 2030 and 100% by 2050. The Ariano and Apricena wind farms will play their part in helping to meet these targets and accelerate Italy’s renewable energy transition.
About NORD/LB:
NORD/LB Norddeutsche Landesbank is one of Germany’s leading commercial banks, and a pioneer in renewable energy project finance since the 1990s, across more than 30 markets. As an institute under public law, it is part of the S-Finance Group. Its core business segments include corporate customers, special financing in the energy and infrastructure sectors, financing commercial real estate via Deutsche Hypo, capital market business, association business with the savings banks, and private and commercial customers including private banking. The bank is based in Hanover, Braunschweig, and Magdeburg and has branches in Oldenburg, Hamburg, Schwerin, Düsseldorf, and Munich. Outside Germany, NORD/LB is represented by a Pfandbrief bank (NORD/LB Covered Bond Bank) in Luxembourg and by branches in London, New York and Singapore.
About W.E.B Group:
W.E.B Group designs and operates renewable energy power plants, with a special focus on wind and solar power. Its 335 power plants have a total output of around 734 MW. In addition to Austria and Italy, it operates in Germany, France, Czechia, Slovakia, Canada and the United States and promotes the energy transition and civic engagement. The parent company WEB Windenergie AG is located in Austria and based on a broad equity ownership.
