The new wind power plant, located in the Turolenses towns of Mezquita de Jarque, Fuentes Calientes, Cañada Vellida and Rillo, has a capacity of 50 MW, will be able to generate 141 GWh / year and has meant an investment of 45 million euros.
Sierra Costera I is the first wind project, awarded to Enel Green Power Spain after the third renewable energy auction organized by the Government, which enters service.
Its construction responds to Endesa’s strategy of decarbonising its generation mix, a process whose first milestone is to reach 8.4 GW of renewable installed capacity in 2021, with a total investment of some 2,000 million euros.
Enel Green Power España (EGPE), Endesa’s renewable energy subsidiary, has connected to the network the new 50 MW Sierra Costera I wind plant, the largest of which is being built in Aragon. The new plant, located in the Turolenses towns of Mezquita de Jarque, Fuentes Calientes, Cañada Vellida and Rillo, which has meant an investment of 45 million euros.
Sierra Costera I is the first wind power plant to enter into service the 540 MW of wind power awarded to EGPE in the renewable auction held by the Spanish Government in May 2017. Currently, the company is building around 470 MW in projects wind farms in Aragon, Castilla y León, Andalucía and Galicia, as well as 254 MW of solar power awarded in the third renewable energy auction, held in July 2017. The construction of this renewable capacity will involve an investment of more than 800 million euros until 2020 and Endesa’s current wind and solar capacity will increase by 52.4%.
The construction of this renewable capacity responds to Endesa’s strategy to decarbonize its generation mix, a process whose first milestone is to reach 8.4 GW of renewable installed capacity in 2021, compared to the current 6.5 GW, with a total investment of about 2,000 million euros.
The Sierra Costera I wind farm, consisting of 14 turbines, can generate approximately 141 GWh per year. Its entry into operation will prevent the emission of approximately 93,000 tons of CO2 annually into the atmosphere.
The construction of the Sierra Costera I park has been based on the “Sustainable Construction Site” model that included the installation of photovoltaic solar panels at the site to cover part of its energy needs. Water saving measures were also applied, such as the installation of water tanks and rainwater collection systems. Once the construction is finished, both the photovoltaic panels and the water saving equipment will be donated for public use.
Endesa follows a facility development model called the CSV (Creating Shared Value) model, which aims to combine business development and the needs of the local community. In this sense, the company has carried out sustainability projects such as the hiring of local labor for the construction of the plant and other works related to the project (for example, restoration and accommodation for workers). In addition, training courses on renewable energy were organized for local residents. Endesa has also contributed to the replacement of public lighting with LEDs to improve public spaces in the areas of Mezquita Vellida and Rillo.
Endesa currently manages more than 6,688 MW of renewable capacity in Spain. Of this figure, 4,710 MW are of conventional hydraulic generation. The rest, more than 1,978 MW, are managed through EGPE and come from wind (1,800 MW), solar (85 MW), mini-hydro (79 MW) and other renewable energy sources (14 MW).
Enel Green Power, the global renewable energy business line of the Enel Group, to which Endesa belongs, is dedicated to the development and operation of renewables worldwide, with a presence in Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Enel Green Power is a global leader in the green energy sector with a managed capacity of about 43 GW in a generation combination that includes wind, solar, geothermal and hydroelectric, and is at the forefront of the integration of innovative technologies in power plants renewable energy.
