Iberdrola’s New 350 MW Solar Plant in Palencia, Spain’s Largest Photovoltaic Project, gets Environmental Green Light

The construction of this renewable facility, with an investment of €217 million, will have a significant local component

(PRESS RELEASE) BILBAO, 11-Jan-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Iberdrola (BME: IBE), a Spanish multinational leader in clean energy and a pioneer in the deployment of smart grids, has announced it has been granted a favorable Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to build one of the largest photovoltaic projects in Spain in the province of Palencia. The project will have a capacity of 350MW, enough to generate clean energy for 180,000 homes per year, and will also avoid 85,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. The construction of the plant, which is expected to have an investment of €217 million, will be a significant boost to the local economy, as up to 850 industrial suppliers are expected to be involved in the project during peak periods. This project aligns with Iberdrola’s commitment to sustainable and renewable energy sources, and their focus on boosting local economies by supporting green initiatives and entrepreneurship.

It will also have a regional vision; the substation will be built by the Salamanca company Tecinsa and the metal supports of the plant’s structure will be built by Made Tower, located in Medina del Campo, Valladolid. In addition, different regional and national suppliers will produce different components or carry out their electrical infrastructures, such as the overhead line, which will be provided by the Asturian supplier Tensa, and the power transformers and isolating switches by the Andalusian company Hitachi and the Basque company Mesa, respectively.

Investments in 100% renewable projects, boosting the business fabric and local employment based on green principles, innovation and support for entrepreneurship are the pillars on which Iberdrola is working to transform the region of Velilla del Río Carrión, which it is actively accompanying in its decarbonisation process.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE VIRGEN DE AREÑOS III PHOTOVOLTAIC PLANT BEGINS.

Iberdrola has started work on its other photovoltaic plant in the region, Virgen de Areños III (50 MW), located in the Acera de la Vega district of the municipality of Villota del Páramo, which was given the green environmental light a few months ago.

Once operational, the facility will produce 85,902 MWh/year, the equivalent of supplying 26,300 homes, and will prevent the emission of around 12,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

The investment amounts to €27.5 million; there will be more than 90,000 photovoltaic modules and up to 250 professionals will work on the project during peak periods. In this case, the company Made Tower, located in Medina del Campo, Valladolid, will also be responsible for the metal supports of the plant’s structure.

A NEW ENERGY LANDSCAPE THAT FIXES POPULATION IN RURAL AREAS

With these new plants, Iberdrola will reinforce its commitment to Castilla y León, which is consolidating its position as a major centre for renewable energy developments in the company’s investment cycle to 2025, where it already manages more than 5,100 MW, making it the autonomous community with the most ‘green’ megawatts installed by the company.

Iberdrola promotes renewable energies as an engine for rural development, and in this way, the villages emerge as a guarantee for the future. This is the case of the villages of Castilla y León, surrounded by wind farms and photovoltaic plants that Iberdrola is promoting and which will contribute to a sustainable recovery, allowing the creation of local employment.

In addition, the company has fully integrated the conservation of ecosystem biodiversity into its strategy, demonstrating that competitive, clean and sustainable energy supply can effectively coexist with environmental balance.

Media contact:

Tel: +34 91 784 32 32
comunicacioncorporativa@iberdrola.es

SOURCE: Iberdrola, S.A.