Statkraft names new international business chief with eye on South America
Spanish national Fernando De Lapuerta has helped Norwegian group develop 2.2GW wind and hydropower portfolio in Brazil
Statkraft has appointed its Brazil country manager as the new executive vice president of its international operations, with a promise to focus more investment into South America.
Spanish national Fernando De Lapuerta will start in his new role on 1 January, Statkraft announced today.
De Lapuerta has held senior management positions in the international renewables industry for nearly twenty years, more than half of which he has spent at the Norwegian state-owned renewables developer.
De Lapuerta has been “instrumental in delivering the strong growth and profitable operations Statkraft has achieved in Brazil in recent years,” said Statkraft CEO Birgitte Ringstad Vartdal.
De Lapuerta has “personally played a pivotal role in delivering several high-profile projects and the successful completion of major deals,” she added.
Under De Lapuerta’s leadership in Brazil, Statkraft has developed a portfolio of 18 hydropower plants and 8 wind farms, with a total installed capacity of more than 2.2GW.
In February, Statkraft inaugurated its largest wind farm outside Europe, the 519MW Ventos de Santa Eugênia Wind Complex in Brazil, which the developer said pushed it into the top 10 wind power producers in the country.
“Statkraft has an ambitious strategy and unique position for further profitable growth within renewable energy,” said De Lapuerta. “Going forward, we will focus our investments on South America, where the opportunities to achieve scale and leverage our core capabilities are strong.”
De Lapuerta succeeds Ingeborg Dårflot, who has been appointed EVP for a new business area, technology and project delivery.
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