IBERDROLA to extend San Pedro hydroelectric power plant

• Following commissioning of Santo Estevo II, in operation since February
• The Company will invest €52 million in the construction of the new plant
• During the next three years of construction, IBERDROLA will generate up to 190 direct jobs

8-7-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — IBERDROLA has initiated the main construction phase at San Pedro hydroelectric plant extension project, located in the river Sil, in the municipality of Nogueira de Ramuín (Ourense).

The new phase, San Pedro II, will add 25 megawatts (MW) to the existing facility which has an installed capacity of 32 MW. IBERDROLA will invest €52 million to deliver the new power house that will be partially located underground.

During the next three years of construction, IBERDROLA expects to create up to 190 direct jobs.

In order to ensure security and progress at the construction works, the Company has closed a private access road linking Peares village and Santo Estevo power plant, located upstream of San Pedro. Both plants can be reached via the A Rasa main road.

Construction of San Pedro II comes a month after IBERDROLA chairman, Ignacio Galán, and the President of Galicia’s Regional Government, Alberto Núñez Feijoo, inaugurated the Santo Estevo II power plant, in operation since February.

San Pedro hydroelectric plant acts as a reservoir for Santo Estevo, controlling the Sil river flow. Once extension of the latter was completed, it was necessary to also extend the former.

With 441 MW installed capacity and a €127 million overhaul, Santo Estevo has become the largest hydroelectric complex in Galicia, able to produce 1,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) annually, enough clean power to meet average energy demand of approximately 285,000 homes.

Built completely underground, the extension of the original plant, now referred to as Santo Estevo II, is perfectly integrated into the surroundings: the Sil river canyon.

Once construction of San Pedro II is finished and with Santo Estevo II already commissioned, IBERDROLA would have fulfilled the objectives these extension projects set to achieve: sluice control, balancing flows downstream and optimizing exploitation of an indigenous, renewable energy source.

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