With a capacity of 50 MW, the facility, located in the Salamanca municipality of Villarino de los Aires, will generate enough clean energy to supply a population equivalent to 27,000 homes and will prevent the emission of 12,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere per year
Iberdrola gets environmental green light for the development of one of its photovoltaic projects in Salamanca. (Credit: Iberdrola, S.A.)
Iberdrola has obtained a favourable Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the development of one of its photovoltaic projects in Castilla y León, the Villarino plant, with a capacity of 50 megawatts (MW), located in the Salamanca municipality of Villarino de los Aires.
This new solar energy production facility will cover a total area of 280 hectares and will have more than 382,000 photovoltaic modules. It will also generate enough clean energy to supply a population equivalent to 27,000 homes; in addition, it will avoid the emission of 12,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere per year and will represent an investment of more than €33 million.
Its construction will have an important local component, both in terms of industrial suppliers and the involvement of up to 250 workers during peak work periods, until it is put into operation, which is planned for this year, which will contribute to boosting the economy and employment in the area.
A WORLD LEADER IN CLEAN ENERGY IN CASTILLA Y LEÓN
With the new plant, Iberdrola will reinforce its commitment to Castilla y León, which is consolidating its position as a major centre for renewable developments in the company’s investment cycle to 2025, where it already manages more than 5,100 MW – hydro and wind – making this autonomous community the region with the most ‘green’ megawatts installed by the company.
Also in Salamanca, Iberdrola will invest €200 million to build another photovoltaic plant in Ciudad Rodrigo – 318 MW -, one of the largest installations of its kind in Castilla y León.
The company’s photovoltaic plant project in Miróbriga will involve industrial suppliers in the area and create up to 800 jobs during peak periods. It will supply 150,000 homes and avoid the emission of 75,000 tCO2 per year.
Iberdrola’s investment plan in Castilla y León foresees the installation of 1,800 green MW in the coming years, thus advancing in its sustainability strategy, based on the electrification of the economy and oriented towards the fight against climate change and the creation of wealth and employment in the communities where it operates.
Iberdrola works on numerous initiatives that combine the installation of renewable projects with the conservation of the biological diversity of ecosystems, caring for flora, fauna and natural heritage. The coexistence of these renewable generation plants with activities related to agriculture, livestock farming and horticulture are further proof of the company’s commitment to preserving biodiversity.
GREEN INVESTMENTS TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND EMPLOYMENT
Iberdrola is convinced that the energy transition can act as a key driving force in the transformation of the industrial fabric and in the green recovery of the economy and employment.
In this way, the towns are emerging as a guarantee of the future with numerous initiatives based on ‘green’ principles that boost their activity and their population. This is the case of these Castilian and Leonese villages, surrounded by 100% renewable energy generation facilities, which join other nearby projects that Iberdrola is promoting and which will contribute to a sustainable recovery from the crisis and create local employment.
Source: Company Press Release