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Iberdrola builds Spain’s first hybrid wind-solar plant

Published by , Editorial Assistant
Energy Global,


Iberdrola reinforces its renewable leadership in Spain by building the first hybrid wind and solar complex in Spain, in the province of Burgos.

The company continues with the construction of two photovoltaic (PV) plants of 41 and 33 MW, respectively, which will have more than 170 000 modules and will be located in the Burgos municipalities of Revilla Vallejera, Villamedianilla, and Vallejera, Spain. They will enable the hybridisation of the existing 69 MW BaCa – Ballestas and Casetona – wind farm.

The initiative will contribute to the development of local economy in Castille and León, Spain, with peak construction involving 360 jobs.

The company has allocated more than €40 million to the construction of this project, which combines wind and solar energy at a single site.

Hybridisation makes it possible to optimise the use of the grid while minimising the environmental impact of the projects. Iberdrola will invest in this technology over the coming years in Spain, with which it aims to improve its renewable resources and make the most of existing locations.

Cutting-edge technology

The incorporation of solar modules will increase the performance of existing wind facilities. It will contribute clean, cheap, and competitive energy to the electricity system by guaranteeing the maximum supply of green energy originally authorised for each project, for as long as possible.

By having two technologies capable of alternating, dependence on changing environmental conditions and limitations due to possible lack of resources such as wind or sunshine is significantly reduced, facilitating more stable and efficient renewable production.

Hybrid generation plants use the same grid connection point and share infrastructures, such as the substation and the evacuation line for the electricity produced. In addition, they are located on land that was already used for renewable generation and allow for common roads and facilities for the operation of both technologies. All of this results in a much lower environmental impact than would have been the case with two independent plants.

A new energy landscape that fixes population to rural areas

Iberdrola promotes renewable energy as a driver of rural development and in this way the villages emerge as a guarantee for the future. This is the case of the villages of Castille and León, surrounded by wind farms and PV plants that Iberdrola is developing and which will contribute to sustainable recovery, allowing for local employment to be created.

In the region, the company has begun construction of the Valdemoro and Buniel wind farms and has obtained the environmental permit for the Alcocero de Mola and Iglesias wind project. The latter will include the most powerful onshore wind turbines in the world, manufactured by Siemens Gamesa – the first 5.X platform equipment in Spain. In the province of Burgos alone, it has recently built or is developing more than 550 MW spread between seven wind farms.

Iberdrola is also currently developing three PV facilities in the region totalling 450 MW – Villarino, Velilla, and Virgen de Areños III – and has commissioned its first PV plant in the region – Revilla-Vallejera (50 MW) – in the province of Burgos.

With these projects, Iberdrola reinforces its commitment to Castilla y León, which is consolidating as an important centre for renewable energy developments. Iberdrola already operates more than 5150 MW in the region.

 

 

For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.

Energy Global's Spring 2023 issue

The Spring 2023 issue of Energy Global hosts an array of technical articles focusing on offshore wind, solar technology, energy storage, green hydrogen, waste-to-energy, and more. This issue also features a regional report on commodity challenges facing Asia’s energy transition.

Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/electric-hybrid/18042023/iberdrola-builds-spains-first-hybrid-wind-solar-plant/

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