Iberdrola Commissions Núñez de Balboa Photovoltaic Plant
The largest photovoltaic plant in Europe has just come into operation, and today, at 12 noon, it discharged its first MWh of clean energy into the electricity grid. Iberdrola has succeeded in commissioning the Núñez de Balboa project - the biggest photovoltaic plant in Europe - in record time. It was built in just one year and completed last December. Núñez de Balboa, with 500 megawatts of installed power and involving an investment approaching EUR 300 million, is between the towns of Usagre, Hinojosa del Valle and Bienvenida in Badajoz. The plant, which is being developed in collaboration with Ecoenergías del Guadiana, is a record-breaking renewable flagship project:
Iberdrola is focusing its renewable strategy in Spain in Extremadura, where it plans to install more than 2,000 MW of photovoltaic generation by 2022.
Following the commissioning of Núñez de Balboa (500 MW), the company has more than 1,300 MW in six renewable photovoltaic projects in the pipeline: Francisco Pizarro (590 MW)in Torrecillas de la Tiesa, Ceclavín (328 MW) in Alcántara, Arenales (150 MW) in Cáceres, Campo Arañuelo I, II and III (150 MW), in the district of Almaraz, and Majada Alata and San Antonio (50 MW each), in Cedillo. It also has 300 MW with grid access available to plan another photovoltaic project.
Iberdrola expects to start building Campo Arañuelo (Arañuelo I, II and III), with 150 MW of power in the near future. This development will create up to 200 jobs in the construction phase and have a high level of local involvement, since the engineering and environmental works have been awarded to Extremadura-based firm Ecoenergías del Guadiana and the power transformers will be supplied by Faramax. The project also includes an energy storage system with an innovative battery.
Source : Strategic Research Institute