Companies and families residing in Affi, in the province of Verona, will be able to participate in the wind farm financing, with a total capacity of 4 MW, realized by the local multi-utility AGSM in 2017. The operation replicates a scheme already successfully adopted for the neighbor Rivoli Veronese wind farm built by the same company in 2013, and provides for the issue of bonds ("Affi Bond"), for an amount up to 1 million euro, or 20% of the total cost of the plant, equal to 5 millions of euros.

Bonds
The bonds will have a duration of six years (from 2018 to 2024) and the cut will vary between three thousand and thirty thousand euro each. The securities will pay an annual coupon of 4.5% and the loan will be returned together with the coupon of the sixth year. The expressions of interest must be received by September 30, 2018 to allow the issuance of the bonds within the month of October.



The issue is aimed at involving, also from a financial point of view, the local community, which has largely supported and followed every phase of the planning, of the authorization process and of the realization of the Work, up to the inauguration of last May 26th. .
With this initiative AGSM intends to reiterate the ways in which it has developed - and intends to develop - renewable energy plants: care of the design, minimization of the environmental impact, attention to the landscape insertion and the usability of the plant to residents and tourists, and above all, involvement of local communities at every stage. The arched layout, typical of the final moraine outlet, underlines from the landscape point of view the transition from the alpine context that characterizes the Val d'Adige to that of the Po Valley.

With the start-up of the Affi plant, AGSM has exceeded 100 GWh / year of wind production, equal to about 40% of its production of energy from renewable sources (which in turn represents 35% of Group's total energy production).

"The primary purpose of the bond issue is to allow the participation of those who live and work in the territory to a project that concerns an important aspect of community life as is the consumption of energy", said AGSM President Michele Croce. "We believe that even through a financial instrument we can increase people's knowledge and sensitivity towards sustainable consumption issues".

Model plant
"We are inaugurating another model plant", commented Agsm Group President Michele Croce. "A multi-utility, Agsm, more and more example in the world of renewable energy A unique winning mix in the Italian landscape: clean energy, return on investment in record time, respect for the environment, sharing with the community from the planning, education programs, investment tools and tariffs for residents.We have other projects coming, in wind energy and not only.Agsm looks to the future with great optimism ".



During the day Agsm - jointly with the municipal council of Affi - organized guided tours to wind turbines, inviting both citizens and Agsm employees. The ribbon was cut in the presence of Agsm Group president Michele Croce, Affi mayor, Roberto Bonometti, Agsm's special attorney, Daniela Ambrosi, and Agsm's design and development manager, Marco Giusti.

President Croce and Mayor Bonometti have confirmed that the citizens of Affi will be able to enjoy special discounted rates and favorable prices for the supply of energy and natural gas, becoming Agsm Energia customers. In addition, they confirm that in October Agsm will issue the "Affi Bond", reserved for citizens and businesses resident in the municipality of Affi, which will thus have the opportunity to become co-financiers of the plant. With regard to these two proposals, a specific appointment was made on Thursday 14 June at 9.00 pm at the Town Hall in Affi, an evening during which all the details of the initiatives will be illustrated.

Entered into operation on 2 August 2017, the Affi wind farm has produced up to now 5 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of clean energy, equal to the annual electricity consumption of more than 6,600 people. The total investment for the construction of the Affi plant was 4.9 million euros.

From an industrial point of view, thanks to the contribution of this plant, Agsm has for the first time exceeded 100 GWh / year (100 million kilowatt hours) of wind production, equal to about 40% of Agsm production from renewable sources, which in turn represents 35 percent of the total electricity generation (15% wind, 19% hydroelectric and 1% photovoltaic, in line with the national share).

Social
The Affi plant is still particularly important from the 'social' point of view and of the inclusion in the territory's fabric. Its implementation has in fact consolidated the relationship with the Municipality of Affi Veronese, a country with a strong propensity for policies to support renewable energy. Affi was the first municipality in the province of Verona to have joined the Covenant of Mayors - which provides for the reduction of 20% of CO2 emissions by 2020 - and to have hosted a public charging center for electric cars.



The plant has a particular orographic and landscape location because it completes the adjacent Monte Mesa wind farm, built in 2013: the two Agsm sites form an almost perfect arch on horseback with the motorway and "close" the valley of the Adige in correspondence with its outlet in the Po Valley. The two wind farms are located exactly on the "ridge" of the last glacial moraine of the Val d'Adige. The arched layout, typical of the final moraine outlet, underlines from the landscape point of view the transition from the alpine context that characterizes the Val d'Adige to that of the Po Valley.

Gemini of Rivoli
The Affi wind turbines were designed and manufactured identical to the Rivoli twin units, to guarantee landscape consistency. The arch formed by the morainic ridge and the 6 wind turbines (the 4 Rivoli in 2013 and the 2 by Affi) marks the natural boundary, different from the administrative one, between Trentino and Veneto. On the Trentino side you can see from every perspective of the Val d'Adige as far as 30 kilometers away, on the Veronese side they are visible from the whole Affi-Rivoli-Caprino-Costermano plateau, from the lower Lake Garda and from the entire area flat in the province.