Spanish electric utility company Endesa’s renewable energy division Enel Green Power España (EGPE) has commenced construction of three solar plants for an overall capacity of 126.6MW in the municipality of Logrosán, near Cáceres.
Image: Enel Green Power begins construction of three solar plants in Spain. Photo: Courtesy of graur codrin/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
The three photovoltaic (PV) plants – Baylio, Dehesa de los Guadalupes and Furatena – will involve an investment of €100m and will each have an installed capacity of 42.2MW.
The three solar plants, comprising around 372,000 PV modules, are slated to enter into service by the end of 2019.
After becoming operational, these plants will generate more than 240GWh annually, avoiding the emission of 120,000 tons of CO2 per year.
Enel Green Power will use its ‘Sustainable Construction Site’ model for these projects. This model includes the use of a 20kW photovoltaic system at each site to meet the energy needs during construction, and other initiatives involving the local population in the construction phase.
EGPE will use drones for topographical survey, smart tracking of components such as solar panels, main transformers and cables, and advanced digital platforms and software solutions to oversee the progress and quality of construction and remotely support site activities and plant commissioning.
These will enable faster, accurate and reliable data collection, enhance construction quality and facilitate communication between on-site and off-site teams.
The three plants are part of seven PV projects for a total capacity of 339MW that EGPE won during a tender for renewables in July 2017.
The other projects include one in Murcia, Totana, for which construction began in September, and three others in Extremadura, in the municipalities of Talarrubias and Casas de Don Pedro, province of Badajoz.
After the renewable tender in May 2017, the company secured wind power projects for an installed capacity of 540MW.
The overall 879MW of wind and solar awarded in the last two tenders will involve a total investment of more than €800m by 2020, and increase the company’s current portfolio by 52.4%.