Iberdrola finalizes largest photovoltaic plant in Europe in record time

Christian Fernsby ▼ | January 1, 2020

Europe's biggest photovoltaic plant has been finalized.

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Topics: IBERDROLA PHOTOVOLTAIC PLANT EUROPE

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Iberdrola has completed in record time, in just one year, construction of the NÃºÃ±ez de Balboa project, which recently obtained its commissioning permit from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and for which Red ElÃ©ctrica de EspaÃ±a (REE), the national grid, has started energisation tests.

Based on these processes, the plant is forecast to start operations in the first quarter of 2020.With the completion of NÃºÃ±ez de Balboa, with an installed capacity of 500 megawatts (MW) and an investment of nearly 300 million euros, Iberdrola moves forward in its plan to relaunch green energy in Spain, which envisages the installation of 3,000 MW by 2022, with Extremadura at the centre of its strategy. NÃºÃ±ez de Balboa extends over an area of some 1,000 hectares (2,470 acres) straddling the municipalities of Usagre, Hinojosa del Valle and Bienvenida in the province of Badajoz.

The plant, promoted in collaboration with EcoenergÃas del Guadiana, is a flagship renewable project that has broken records:

Millions of components: with the installation of 1,430,000 solar panels,115 inverters and two substations involving delivery of a total of 3,200 containers.

Job creation: it requires more than 1,200 employees during peak-work periods; 70% of them from Extremadura.

Revitalising the industrial fabric: its construction has contributed to the development of the value chain, with purchases from some thirty suppliers, many of them local, worth 227 million euros.

Action against climate change: the plant will generate clean energy to supply the needs of 250,000 people a year and will avoid the emission of 215,000 metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere per year.

Project funded by green financing: for its development, Iberdrola received green financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Instituto de CrÃ©dito Oficial (ICO), Spain's state financial agency.

Promoting sustainable consumption: A pioneer in Spain, with long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in place, the project will supply clean energy to major clients committed to sustainable consumption in the banking, telecommunications and retail sectors.

Education and training on renewables: Iberdrola and the Municipalities of Usagre and Llerena are working together on training students of the CampiÃ±a Sur Vocational School in Extremadura, with educational site visits and practical plant experience.

Iberdrola has placed Extremadura at the centre of its renewable strategy in Spain, where it plans to install more than 2,000 MW of photovoltaic energy by 2022. ■

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Iberdrola finalizes largest photovoltaic plant in Europe in record time

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