Iberdrola Fast tracks its 590 MW Solar Project in Spain

Iberdrola is moving forward with its renewables strategy with the 590 MW Francisco Pizarro solar project with an investment totaling more than €300 million.

Spanish public multinational electric utility, Iberdrola has announced that it is moving forward with its renewables strategy with the Francisco Pizarro project which, with 590 MW and investment totaling more than €300 million, will become Europe’s largest photovoltaic solar plant.

The project, which is now being processed by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, will occupy a 1,300-hectare site falling within Caceres’ municipal areas of Torrecillas de la Tiesa and Aldeacentenera. During the construction phase and until the plant is commissioned in 2022, up to 1,000 people will be employed on the site. It will be larger than the Núñez de Balboa photovoltaic plant that the utility is building in Usagre (Badajoz) which, with 500 MW, is so far the biggest in Europe. 

The project will generate enough clean energy to supply 375,000 people every year, more than the total population of the cities of Cáceres and Badajoz; and will prevent the emission of 245,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year.

With the addition of the Pizarro project, the company is now building or processing more than 2,000 MW in Spain, accounting for 70% of investments in the company’s plan for 2022, with a target of 3,000 MW in the country.

The remaining renewable projects under development in Spain are;

• In Cáceres, Extremadura, the Ceclavín (328 MW), Arenales (150 MW) and Campo Arañuelo I and II photovoltaic plants (50 MW each) are undergoing administrative processing.
• In Andalusia, Iberdrola is developing the 50 MW Andévalo photovoltaic project, located within the largest wind farm in Continental Europe, promoted and managed by Iberdrola.
• The Romeral 50 MW photovoltaic project will be built in Cuenca;
• In Burgos, Iberdrola has wind farms with an installed capacity of 73 MW under administrative processing (Herrera’s wind farm complex and La Lora’s one).

In Spain, Iberdrola has more than 700 MW renewables under construction (the Núnez de Balboa photovoltaic plant and wind projects in three regions), expected to go into service between 2019 and 2020.