Iberdrola is moving forward with its renewable strategy in Castile-La Mancha by commissioning its first photovoltaic plant in this autonomous region. The Barcience plant in Bargas, Toledo, has 144,900 modules and an installed power of 50 MW. The plant will produce clean energy for the equivalent of 24,700 homes/year and will prevent the emission of 15,000 tons of CO2 per year into the atmosphere.
The project included numerous national suppliers, such as Arteche, FCC-Abengoa, Mesa, Siemsa, Garoc and Reneergy and 250 workers were involved in the construction stage.
The construction process had to deal with harsh conditions, such as Storm Filomena which swept through the centre of the country, however, everything was finished on time. Freezing temperatures formed a layer of ice at the highest part of the solar farm, covering both the land and the infrastructure, and it took two rainstorms to melt the ice.
Ramping up investments in renewables in the region
Iberdrola is steadfast in its commitment to developing renewable energies in Castile-La Mancha, a region where it already operates 2,386 MW, mainly wind power, ranking it third among the list of regions with the group’s largest ‘green’ capacity in Spain.
As well as Barcience, the company is building the Romeral (50 MW) photovoltaic plant in Cuenca between the towns of Alarcón and Olmedilla de Alarcón, with a total of 144,900 modules. This plant will produce clean energy for the equivalent of 24,500 homes/year and will prevent the emission of 15,000 tons of CO2 per year into the atmosphere.
It is also making progress on the Olmedilla photovoltaic plant (50 MW) in the Cuenca municipalities of Valdeverdejo, Alarcón and Olmedilla de Alarcón, which will produce clean energy for the equivalent of more than 30,000 homes/year and will prevent the emission of 18,000 tonnes of CO2/year.
In Castilla-La Mancha, Iberdrola is developing another photovoltaic project in Ciudad Real, in Puertollano, which will form part of and supply clean energy to the largest green hydrogen production plant for industrial use in Europe.
With an investment of 150 million euros, Puertollano II will become a testbed for innovative technologies: Alongside the 100 MW photovoltaic plant, a battery storage system and a plant for the production of green hydrogen by electrolysis from 100% renewable sources will be installed. Its development and construction will create 700 jobs and, once operational, will prevent 39,000 tons of CO2/year.
In Spain, Iberdrola is currently building 1,200 MW of renewable generation facilities and has a project portfolio of more than 17,000 MW in this Iberian region.
Accelerated investments to contribute towards the green recovery
Iberdrola has been leading the energy transition for two decades, acting as a key driving force to transform the industrial fabric and in the green recovery of the economy and employment. The company has thus launched a historic investment plan worth 150 billion euros over the next decade, 75 billion euros by 2025, to triple its renewable capacity and double network assets and take advantage of the opportunities offered by the energy revolution that the world’s leading economies are facing.
In Spain, investments to 2025 amount to 14.3 billion euros, mainly for the roll out of an ambitious plan for renewables and smart grids. In Spain, it is the leader in the renewable energies sector with an installed capacity of 17,400 MW, which will increase to 25,000 MW with its investment plan up to 2025.
After investing 120 billion euros over the last twenty years, Iberdrola is a leader in renewable energy with 35,000 MW installed worldwide; a volume that makes its generation park one of the cleanest in the energy sector.
