The Russian government has added 106.8MW to wind power capacity to be delivered by the sector in 2024, The Russian wind power association (RAWI) said.

The government in a decree amending rules regarding the use of renewable energy has transferred the volume away from small hydro power to wind power, boosting the capacity to be supplied in 2024 to 186.6MW, from 75.8MW previously envisaged for that date.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether or when there will be another auction to tender off the additional volume. Shifting an additional 106.8MW to wind power increases the “likelihood of an unscheduled competitive selection” still this year, RAWI said.

Italian utility Enel, through its Russian unit PFSC Enel Russia, in a June tender was successful with a 71MW bid for the Rodniskovsky wind farm in Russia’s Stavropol region for delivery in 2024.

Oil and gas-rich Russia in 2013 had started to hold annual renewable tenders to reach 5.4GW in renewable energy capacity by 2024 (3.35GW of which will come from wind power), which is slated to represent 4.5% of its energy generation.

The renewables sector is currently waiting for a new government plan for the post-2024 period, but recent critical comments by President Vladimir Putin raise doubts about the government’s commitment to continue building up a wind industry in the country.

Putin in June had claimed wind power is harmful to worms and birds as he joined US counterpart Donald Trump in raising left-field objections to turbine development.

Enel in past tenders had already won 291MW, and in May had started building the 90MW Azov wind farm in southern Russia’s Rostov region, which it plans to start operations in 2020. A year later, the Italian utility plans to commission the 201MW Murmansk wind farm.