Iberdrola: The group?s chairman explained to Gordon Brown his interest in helping the country develop clean generation technologies

Ignacio Galán explained IBERDROLA’s strategic vision which has seen it become the largest renewables company in the UK and the third largest power distributor through its subsidiary ScottishPower.

Mr. Galán told Gordon Brown that in 2008 Scottish Power, which has a 9,000-strong workforce and three million customers in the UK, invested £1 billion, boasted revenue of nearly £7 billion and made purchases of more than £1 billion from local suppliers.

Mr. Galán, who was accompanied at this meeting by ScottishPower’s CEO, Nick Horler, explained IBERDROLA’s interest in helping the country develop its energy plans through its commitment to clean power generation technologies which will help cut CO2 emissions.

More specifically, the company has focused its growth strategy on the British market and the development of renewable energies, its role in the programme to build new nuclear power plants and the opening of clean coal plants using CO2 capture and storage technology.

In the renewables field, the company has nearly 800 MW in operation and a wind project portfolio of over 5,100 MW. IBERDROLA RENOVABLES recently opened the Whitelee wind farm near Glasgow, Europe’s largest with 322 MW of installed capacity which will be doubled in the coming years to 600 MW.

ScottishPower also aspires to become the global champion in CO2 capture and storage technology, capable of cutting emissions by up to 90%, and has chosen the UK to be its centre of excellence. ScottishPower is taking part in a tender organised by the British government to build a CCS plant and has brought on stream a test unit at the Longannet thermal plant, becoming the only company in the country to offer this technology at existing coal plants.

IBERDROLA is also part of a consortium comprising GDF-Suez and Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE) bidding for new nuclear sites in the UK as part of the government’s plan to re-launch this energy type over the coming years.

Audience with the Duke of Edinburgh

Following his meeting with Gordon Brown, the IBERDROLA chairman attended a lunch at Buckingham Palace with HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, where he explained the company’s various social initiatives community programmes. Ignacio Galán was also interested in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, an international programme, founded by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, dedicated to the personal development of young people from all backgrounds.

Accompanying Mr. Galán at this meeting were the President of the Iberdrola Foundation, Manuel Marín; the head of Iberdrola’s International business area, Amparo Moraleda; ScottishPower’s CEO, Nick Horler; as well as members of Scottish Power’s board of directors, Lord John Kerr, Lord MacDonald and Samantha Barber.

www.iberdrola.es/webibd/corporativa/iberdrola