Enel Green Power complete new Spanish solar plants

The PV plants, in which Enel Green Power has invested €60 million, will add a combined installed capacity of 86 MW. More than 380 people, 70% of them from Malaga, followed strict safety measures to build the two PV plants, which will produce 171 GWh/yr, equivalent to the energy that a municipality such as Ronda, Spain, consumes in a year. In light of the ongoing pandemic and in line with the indications provided by health authorities, the company implemented rigorous safety protocols, with the aim to ensure the necessary protection of the workers involved in the construction as well as to the communities where the plants are being installed.

La Vega I and La Vega II carry a total of 224 600 PV panels, as well as 14 transformation centres, one electricity substation and approximateky 50 km of underground networks, which have been built for their operation. The two plants will avoid the emission into the atmosphere of more than 79 600 tpy of CO₂.

The plants carry the latest construction technology. Enel Green Power is currently using virtual reality to monitor these facilities through smart glasses, which allow supervisors to remotely observe to the construction works without the need to physically reach the building area. In addition, this technology incorporates an infrared camera that gives a real-time view of construction and implementation activities.

For the construction of La Vega I and La Vega II, Enel Green Power followed sustainable engineering criteria and applied the company’s ‘Sustainable Construction Site’ model, including the installation of PV solar panels to cover some of the energy needs during the work, efficient lighting, separation of waste and the supply of several defibrillators to ensure workers' health. Now that the work has been completed, these measures will be donated to the municipality of Teba for public use.

Enel Green Power's philosophy for building its renewable facilities is part of its ‘Creation of Shared Value’ programme that has led the company to undertake renewable training courses for more than 250 people from Teba and the surrounding area, most of them unemployed, who now have knowledge in the sector of assembling and dismantling PV installations.

Currently, Malaga has renewable production that links with the six wind plants (the last commissioned in 2019) and 11 hydraulic plants that Enel Green Power already has in the province. Paperwork for two more PV plants in the province – to be added in the next few years – will join the abovementioned plants.

Enel Green Power currently operates, through EGPE, over 7812 MW of installed renewable capacity in Spain, which include: 4711 MW from conventional hydro, 2362 MW from wind, 657 MW from solar, 79 MW from mini-hydro and 3 MW from other renewable sources.

Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/solar/05012021/enel-green-power-complete-new-spanish-solar-plants/