Iberdrola Renewables starts up the largest wind power facility in Spain

The transaction forms part of the agreement signed in 2005 with Gamesa Energía for the sale of wind farms in Andalusia. Situated between the towns of El Almendro, Alosno and Puebla de Guzmán in the south of Huelva province, the seven wind farms which make up the complex have installed capacity of 244 megawatts (MW). A 120-km 220 Kv high voltage line has been built to improve the electricity interconnections between Spain and Portugal.

This acquisition reinforces Iberdrola Renewables standing as the leading company in the Andalusian renewables and wind energy sector, with almost 800 MW, and in Spain, where it now has capacity of more than 5,500 MW

Iberdrola Renewables, the world’s leading wind power company, has acquired the El Andévalo (Huelva) wind farm from Gamesa (wind turbine manufacturers leader in Spain). It is the largest renewable energy facility in Spain.

The acquisition follows the framework agreement for the sale of wind farms in Andalusia signed by wind turbine manufacturers Gamesa Energía in 2005. This deal encompassed a total of 600 megawatts (MW).

The company has invested around €320 million in this operation, which includes the purchase of the wind farms that comprise the complex and the necessary infrastructure to transfer the electricity generated.

It was necessary to construct a double circuit 120-km 220 kV power line between La Puebla de Guzmán and Guillena to connect the wind farms to the transmission grid. This strategic infrastructure will improve the electricity interconnection between Spain and Portugal.

The El Andévalo wind facility, situated between the towns of El Almendro, Alosno and Puebla de Guzmán in the south of Huelva province, has capacity of 244 MW divided between seven wind farms: Majal Alto (50 MW) El Saucito (30MW); El Centenar (40 MW); La Tallisca (40 MW); La Retuerta (38 MW); Las Cabezas (18 MW) and Valdefuentes (28 MW).

All these wind farms feature Gamesa’s G90 and G58 wind turbines, with unit capacity of 2 MW and 0.85 MW respectively. The farm has an annual output the equivalent of the electricity consumption of more than 125,000 households and will prevent the annual emission of 500,000 tonnes of CO2

This facility provides a significant socioeconomic boost to the region as it has created 40 direct jobs in the maintenance and operation of the wind farms and around 300 people were involved in its construction.

The acquisition of this wind facility consolidates Iberdrola Renovables as the largest wind energy development company in Spain. This acquisition takes to 5,520 MW the company’s installed capacity in Spain, This is spread between its 175 wind farms (5,126 MW in total), 135 mini-hydro power stations (342 MW), the Puertollano (Ciudad Real) solar thermal plant (50 MW) and its first forest biomass plant in Corduente in Guadalajara province (2 MW).

The operation forms part of Gamesa’s involvement in the development, construction and sale of wind farms. It currently has installed capacity of more than 3,500 MW and a project portfolio of more than 21,000 MW in 15 countries on three continents. Gamesa built this infrastructure in just 13 months, a record time for a project of this scope.

The leader in Andalusia

Iberdrola Renovables is the leading company in the Andalusian wind energy sector, where it now has 25 wind farms with installed capacity of 791 MW. These facilities are in the provinces of Huelva (244 MW), Granada (198 MW), Cádiz (166 MW), Málaga (133 MW) and Almería (50 MW).

Iberdrola Renovables plans to invest €500 million in Andalusia over 2010. The company has a project pipeline of more than 1,000 MW in the region.

Iberdrola Renovables, with operations in 23 countries, is world leader* in its sector in both installed capacity (with nearly 11,000 MW at the end of 2009) and output (over 21,500 million kWh).

www.iberdrolarenovables.es