Construction has begun on three solar plants in the Extremadura region, with a total capacity of 127 MW. The projects – expected to be in operation by the end of 2019 – were awarded to Enel in Spain’s third renewables auction, and involve a total investment of close to €100 million.

Enel Green Power Spain, the renewable energy arm of Spanish utility Endesa – itself a subsidiary of Italian energy giant Enel – has begun construction of three solar plants with a combined capacity of 127 MW. The projects are the first the company has developed in the Extremadura region of southwestern Spain.

The installations – at Baylio, Dehesa de los Guadalupes and Furatena – will have a capacity of more than 42 MW each, and approximately €100 million will be invested in their construction. All three are expected to begin operations before December 31, 2019. Once fully operational, the facilities should have a combined output of more than 240 GWh per year.

Construction of the projects will be based on Enel Green Power’s ‘sustainable construction site’ model, which includes the use of a 20 kW PV system to meet energy needs, alongside other initiatives to promote community participation.

Community involvement

According to Enel Green Power Spain, the company will use innovative construction methods and equipment at all three sites, including surveillance drones; intelligent monitoring of major components such as modules, inverters, and cabling; and digital software solutions to monitor progress and quality; as well as remotely monitoring the site and the start-up of the power plants.

These practices and tools, according to Enel, will allow faster, more accurate and more reliable data collection, improving the quality of construction and facilitating communication between teams. In addition, they will encourage the hiring of local labor for construction, and training for the workforce.

The projects are part of the 339 MW across seven installations that were awarded Enel Green Power Spain after the country’s third renewable energy auction, held in July 2017. Six of the seven projects are in Extremadura – with three beginning construction this week in Logrosán, Caceres Province, and another three in the town of Talarrubias, 60 km south of Logrosán. The seventh project is the Totana Solar Park in Murcia, where construction began in September.

Guillermo Fernández Vara, President of the Regional Government of Extremadura, said at the beginning of October, 2 GW of new solar capacity would be built in the region, representing investment of more than €1.2 billion.

From: PV Magazine