The wind energy project was included in the “First call for investment aid in wind technology electric power production facilities located in the Canary Islands co-financed with ERDF Funds”, promoted by the European Union.
The wind farm, which has an installed capacity of 29.2 MW, will produce 105 GWh of energy annually, which is equivalent to the annual consumption of 42,000 homes, and will contribute to reducing polluting and greenhouse emissions by more than 52,600 tons by anus.
Naturgy has put into operation the Puerto del Rosario wind farm, the second that the energy multinational has in Fuerteventura, and the largest of all those that the company has in the Canary Islands. With an installed capacity of 29.2 MW, the project has involved an investment of more than 35 million euros.
This wind farm was included in the first call for aid for investment in wind technology facilities located in the Canary Islands co-financed with ERDF funds, under the slogan “A way of doing Europe”, and managed by the IDAE.
The park will be made up of 8 wind turbines and the annual energy production is expected to be around 105 GWh per year, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 42,000 homes. It is the largest wind farm in Fuerteventura and increases Naturgy’s renewable power in the Canary Islands by 65%.
The start-up of the Puerto del Rosario wind farm makes it possible to displace the use of other sources of conventional electricity generation, helping to reduce polluting and greenhouse emissions by more than 52,600 tons per year.
The project entails a series of important benefits for its surroundings, becoming a source of employment with the creation of 200 jobs in its construction, in addition to the creation of new highly qualified positions for the operation and exploitation of the park. It also represents for the next 20 years a deposit of economic resources for the municipality in which it is installed, with the obtaining of items for residents of the municipality for the lease of the land where the mills are installed and for the income received by the municipal coffers. Through the Tax on Constructions, Installations and Works (ICIO), the rustic canon, as well as the Tax on Economic Activities (IAE) and the Tax on Real Estate of Special Characteristics (Bices).
In addition to this project, Naturgy has another wind facility in operation on the island. It is the Fuerteventura Renovables II wind farm, with an installed capacity of 4.7 MW and located in the municipality of La Oliva. Throughout 2020, it generated almost 8.5 GWh of energy, which is equivalent to the consumption of 3,288 homes and thanks to which it was possible to avoid the emission of 6,500 tons of polluting and greenhouse gases.
Presence in the Canary Islands
The Puerto del Rosario wind farm joins the nine wind installations that Naturgy already had in operation in the Canary Islands, eight in Gran Canaria and one in Fuerteventura, which add up to a total installed power of 45.4 MW and which last year produced 143, 71 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy, which is equivalent to the annual consumption of about 57,484 homes.
Thanks to the energy produced by these nine wind farms during the past year, it was possible to displace the use of other sources of conventional electricity generation, helping to reduce polluting and greenhouse gas emissions by 113,645 tons.
Regarding photovoltaic energy, Naturgy has solar power for the facilities in Puerto del Rosario (11 MWp) located in Fuerteventura and the El Escobar I and II plants (3.4 MWp each), Gran Canaria I and II ( 6 MWp each), Las Salinetas (4.2 MWp), Telde I, II, IV and V (3.6, 1.9, 2.1 and 1.8 MWp, respectively) all of them located in Gran Canaria. These plants will begin construction throughout this year and will be put into operation during the next fiscal year.
Bet on the energy transition
Naturgy has been taking decisive steps for years to support the energy transition, moving towards a more sustainable energy mix. At the end of 2020, the company had 4.6 GW in clean technology operations and its strategy for the coming years is focused on continuing to grow in renewable energies. Naturgy plans to invest a minimum of 1,000 million euros in 2021 to develop the acquired renewable electricity generation projects and has identified investment projects worth 2,500 million euros in the coming years in projects to promote renewable gases, betting especially on the renewable hydrogen and biomethane generation.
