Iberdrola, S.A. (Iberdrola) has invested EUR73 million on research and development (R&D) in 2008, up 12%, compared with the investments on R&D in 2007. The company earmarked this spend to develop over 150 projects. The company has focused its R&D strategy on improving energy efficiency, quality of supply and sustainable development.

IBERDROLA’s unwavering commitment to innovation has garnered awards such as the Edison Prize while the European Commission has calculated that it invests more in this field than any other Spanish utility.

The company has focused its R&D strategy on improving energy efficiency, quality of supply and sustainable development. Accordingly, the Company has started up projects relating to renewable energies, the capture of CO2 emissions and the optimisation of electricity distribution infrastructure.

This focus on innovation, which forms part of the company’s commitment to meeting the challenges facing the energy sector and remaining at the cutting edge in terms of technology, earned IBERDROLA several awards in 2008.

These include the prestigious Edison Prize for the company’s R&D management system and the Castilla y Leon Foundation for Business Excellence’s regional innovation award for a research project on the use of biomass as fuel.

Also, the EU R&D Investment Scoreboard showed that IBERDROLA earmarked more money to research and development initiatives than any other Spanish utility in 2008.

In the field of generation the company focused on improving the operating conditions of its electricity plants and making them more environmentally friendly. Particularly noteworthy here is the Quemadores project at the Velilla plant to develop NOx reduction systems.

IBERDROLA has also implemented CO2 capture and storage programmes including an initiative headed by its subsidiary Scottish Power to build a commercial-scale CO2 capture and storage plant in the UK.

Meanwhile, the company conducted research in the distribution field in 2008 aimed at improving service quality and safeguarding supply. IBERDROLA headed the European Open Meter project to develop standard technology for the remote management of meters.

Also in the same field, IBERDROLA is involved in the Crisalida project, aimed at defining the transformer stations of the future, the Corpses initiative, which is conducting research into underground cables, and the GAD and Addres projects, aimed at optimising demand management.

The company also signed an agreement with General Motors last year to jointly study the technical requirements of recharging infrastructure for the deployment and viability of plug-in electric cars.

A strong commitment to innovation in the field of renewables

In renewable energies the Group has continued to support R&D projects aimed at fostering this type of energy source. Particularly noteworthy are two marine energy initiatives: the Santoña project (in Cantabria) and the Oceantec project, which is being carried out via the investment company Perseo in the Basque Country.

In the field of property development, IBERDROLA is involved in the Solied project, which is analyzing the economic viability of energy efficient construction, while in the commercial sphere the company is striving to optimize customer service processes and to develop new methods for attracting new customers and increasing the loyalty of existing ones.