Iberdrola starts construction of photovoltaic plant in Palmela, Portugal

Iberdrola starts construction of photovoltaic plant in Palmela, Portugal

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• The Conde PV plant is Iberdrola's first in Palmela and one of four PV plants Iberdrola is already developing in the Setúbal district, all of which were awarded in the 2019 solar auction. desarrolla en el distrito de Setúbal, todas ellas adjudicadas en la subasta solar de 2019.
• Covering an area of almost 20 hectares, the Conde plant will produce more than 20 GWh/year of photovoltaic energy.
• The energy produced is equivalent to supplying an average of 5,000 households per year and will prevent the emission of around 6,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

Iberdrola has today started work on the Conde photovoltaic plant (13.51 MW), located in Palmela, with a total surface area of almost 20 hectares. This is one of the four photovoltaic plants that Iberdrola is developing in the Setúbal district, awarded in the 2019 photovoltaic auction, and included in the investment acceleration plan undertaken by the company, with the aim of completing the works this year.

Once operational, the plant will produce 20 GWh/year, equivalent to the average supply of 5,000 homes, and will avoid the emission of some 6,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

In total, the four plants will have a capacity of 86 MW: Algeruz II (27.35 MW), Conde (13.51 MW), Alcochete I (32.89 MW) and Alcochete II (12.72 MW). Once they are all in operation, they will avoid the emission of 56,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

For Iberdrola, the start of the works "certifies Iberdrola's commitment to the development of renewable energies in Portugal. Iberdrola is at the global forefront of the energy transition, which is essential for the sustainability of the planet, but also to reduce energy dependence on unstable markets. The commitment to renewables guarantees the environmental future and the economic security of families and companies".

The foundation stone of the Conde photovoltaic plant was laid by Renata Rodrigues, on behalf of Iberdrola Renewables Portugal, and Álvaro Manuel Balseiro Amaro, Mayor of Palmela, as a sign of their joint commitment to the development of renewable energies.

In Portugal, Iberdrola serves a commercial portfolio of more than 870,000 supply points, has 92 MW of wind power in operation, and is commissioning the Támega gigabattery, one of Europe's largest pumped-storage projects, with 1,158 MW. This complex comprises three reservoirs (Gouvães, Daivões and Alto Támega) and three hydroelectric power plants, which will gradually come on stream by 2024. In fact, the company has just connected to the grid the first group of the Támega hydroelectric development, a pumping turbine with a capacity of 220 MW.

The complex will be capable of producing 1,766 GWh per year, enough to meet the energy needs of neighbouring municipalities and the cities of Braga and Guimarães (440,000 households). In addition, this large renewable infrastructure will have sufficient storage capacity to serve two million Portuguese households for an entire day and will contribute to the decarbonisation and energy independence objectives set by the Portuguese government.

More commitment to renewables, grids and storage

In 2021, the company has committed more than €4.3 billion to investments in renewable energy. This increased investment has enabled the group to install 3,500 new renewable megawatts (MW) in the last 12 months and to reach 38,000 MW of renewable capacity worldwide. Construction capacity exceeds 7,800 MW, of which 2,600 MW is offshore wind.

The Iberian Peninsula is positioned as the area in which most renewable capacity has been implemented, reaching 1,800 MW of new installation, a figure that represents 56% of all installed capacity in 2021. Thus, 19,210 green MW have been reached.

This strong growth was largely driven by the Tâmega complex project, where the company commissioned the first group of the Gouvães hydroelectric plant. Similarly, it is worth highlighting the commissioning of 986 MW of photovoltaic power, with projects such as the Francisco Pizarro photovoltaic plant (516 MW) and Arenales (150 MW).

20 years ago, the company took on an important social role linked to the objectives of combating climate change through renewable energies. So far, it has invested €120 billion to, among other objectives, generate elements of renewable energy production, promote the development of smart grids and generate opportunities, transforming sectors such as shipyards.