Iberdrola : and the Basque Energy Board (EVE) create a company to promote renewable projects in the Basque Country

Iberdrola and the Basque Energy Board (EVE) reinforce their commitment to green energy with the creation of a joint venture to promote projects with which they will invest in renewable energies in the Basque Country.

This step materializes after the agreement of intentions signed between both institutions in March for the joint development of wind and photovoltaic projects in the three territories of the Basque Autonomous Community. Since then, the energy company and EVE have begun to evaluate sites with access to the electricity grid, as well as the availability of wind resources in some areas with wind potential.

This common task of promoting projects from the public-private initiative coincides with the interest of both entities to continue promoting the energy transition through the development of competitive, clean and sustainable energy, which advances in the reduction of energy dependence and generates quality employment.

This initiative is aligned with the objectives, among others, of the Basque Energy Strategy 2030, with the agreement of the Basque Parliament which urges institutions to strengthen their commitment to renewables and with the processing of a new Territorial Sector Plan for Renewable Energies that will serve, in the future, as a roadmap through the development of a reference map for the different modalities of renewables.

It also responds to the commitments set out in the Paris Agreement on emissions and to the indications set out in the European Commission's 'Clean Energy for All Europeans' package.

Historic partners

Iberdrola and the Basque Energy Board have collaborated over the years on numerous renewable projects in the Basque Country, such as the construction and promotion of the Elgea, Urkilla and Badaia wind farms in Alava-Araba, as well as Oiz in Bizkaia, all of which were inaugurated thanks to public support and collaborations with leading companies in the industry.

Likewise, both entities are driving forces behind the BIDELEK project and the most recent BIDELEK 4.0 for the digitalisation of electricity distribution, which has placed the Basque Country at a pioneering level in the implementation of intelligent networks, which represents a great advance in efficiency, consumption management and the capacity to assume new needs such as the implementation of the electric vehicle and distributed generation by means of renewables.

As part of its commitment to renewable projects, Iberdrola is also part of the Ekian project group of companies, which with its 24 megawatts (MW) is the largest photovoltaic plant in the Basque Country and will double the installed power of this type of technology in the Basque Autonomous Community. Ekian, located in Ribera Baja (Alava/Araba), is driven by KREAN (LKS/Engineering) and the Basque Energy Organisation and will start its activity at the end of this year.

Strong investment in renewables

Iberdrola is the biggest producer of wind energy in Spain, with installed power of 5,770 megawatts (MW) and a total installed renewable capacity (wind and hydroelectric) of 15,789 MW.

The company is building 700 megawatts (MW) in new renewable projects and has 2,500 MW under development and a portfolio in excess of 7,000 MW. By 2022, Iberdrola plans to start up 3,000 new renewable MW in the State.

In the Basque Country, Iberdrola has a renewable installed capacity of 268 megawatts (MW): 143 MW correspond to wind energy.

Globally, Iberdrola's renewable installed capacity is over 29,000 MW, which makes its generation capacity one of the cleanest in the energy sector.