Iberdrola installed 2,000 MW in Spain during the pandemic

Iberdrola has managed to commission 2,000 MW of wind and solar power during the pandemic, which has meant a growth of more than 35% in Spain.

Of the new developments, 76% corresponded to photovoltaic installations. Among them, the Núñez de Balboa plant in Extremadura, which, with 500 MWdc, is capable of supplying energy to 250,000 people, stands out. In this region, the company has also started up the plants of Ceclavin (328 MWdc), Arenales (150 MWdc) and the Campo Arañuelo complex (143 MW dc), the latter a pioneer in incorporating an energy storage system through a 3 MW Ingeteam battery.

The utility has also put into operation the 50 MWdc Andévalo photovoltaic plant in Andalusia, within the wind power complex of the same name - the largest in Continental Europe - and which has become the first facility to obtain the Unef Certificate of Excellence for Sustainability and Biodiversity Conservation.

The acceleration of its renewable strategy has enabled Iberdrola to start up its first three photovoltaic plants in Castilla-La Mancha in 2021: Barcience (50 MWdc), Olmedilla (50 MW) and Romeral (MW), where until now the company had focused its efforts on developing wind energy.

In Aragon, one of the most hotly contested areas among Spanish renewables, the company has installed the region's first photovoltaic plant in Teruel, with a capacity of 50 MW.

Iberdrola has also strengthened its wind portfolio in Spain, with nearly 500 MW installed since 2019. Castilla y León has been the autonomous community with the most megawatts of wind power installed, with the commissioning of the Encillas (23 MW), BaCa (69 MW), Fuenteblanca (10 MW) and the Herrera II complex (63 MW), equipped with the most powerful wind turbines so far in Spain, with a higher power than the first ones installed two decades ago.

The electricity company is now implementing a plan to incorporate partners.

In Asturias, the company has tripled its installed wind power capacity, with four new farms with a total capacity of 129 MW. In Navarra, Iberdrola has commissioned the 111 MW Cavar wind complex, the largest facility of its kind to come on line in the country since 2012. The company has also installed the Puylobo (49 MW) and Pradillo (23 MW) wind farms in Aragon.

The power company now has a plan in place to incorporate partners for some of these new facilities and in fact has already started looking for partners for the Buseco wind farm.

1,000 MW under construction

Iberdrola is currently building 1,000 MW in Spain. Among them, the Pizarro photovoltaic plant, with its 590 MWp. The photovoltaic facilities of Cedillo (100 MW) and Almaraz I and II (80 MW) are also under construction in this community. In Andalusia, it is building the Martín de la Jara (36 MW) and El Puntal (15 MW) wind farms. In Castilla-La Mancha, it is installing a 100 MW photovoltaic plant in Puertollano.