ENDESA : Enel Green Power España begins construction of four wind farms in Zaragoza

Endesa, through its renewable energy arm, Enel Green Power España (EGPE), has started construction of four wind farms for a total capacity of around 110 MW in Zaragoza in the municipalities of Villamayor de Gállego, Mallén, Fréscano, Luna, Las Pedrosas and Fuendetodos. The total investment in the wind farms amounts to around 116 million euros.

José Bogas, Chief Executive Officer of Endesa, said: 'These projects, as part of the 900 MW we are building in Spain, reinforce our commitment to further strengthening the country's renewable generation mix, helping it achieve its green energy goals. Moreover, we are leveraging on Spain's wealth of renewable energy sources, while actively promoting innovation and sustainability by embracing international best practices in the construction phase.'

The four facilities are expected to enter into operation towards the end of 2019. Once fully operational, they will be able to generate some 375 GWh per year, while avoiding the annual emission of 247,894 tonnes of CO₂ into the atmosphere:

• The 11-turbine Campoliva I plant in Villamayor de Gállego will have a capacity of 36 MW;
• The 6-turbine El Campo facility in Mallén y Fréscano will boast a capacity of 20 MW;
• The 9-turbine Santo Domingo de Luna, located in Luna and Las Pedrosas, will have a capacity of 30 MW; and
• The 7-turbine Loma Gorda, in Fuendetodos, will have capacity of 24 MW.

With these projects, the company now has 10 wind farms under construction in Spain, all of which in Aragón. Specifically, six of them are located in the province of Teruel: Muniesa, Farlán, San Pedro de Alacón, Allueva, Sierra Pelarda and Sierra Costera I and four in the province of Zaragoza: Campoliva I, El Campo, Santo Domingo de Luna and Loma Gorda. All of the projects are slated to enter into service towards the end of 2019, and will boast an overall installed capacity of 328 MW as well as an output of around 1,080 GWh per year, while avoiding the annual emission of 717,020 tonnes CO₂ into the atmosphere.

For the construction of these wind farms, EGPE will employ cutting-edge tools and techniques, such as drones for topographic survey, smart tracking of turbine components, advanced digital platforms as well as software solutions for monitoring and remote support of site activities and plant commissioning. These tools and solutions will allow quicker, more accurate and reliable data collection on construction activities, enhancing overall construction quality and facilitating communication between onsite and offsite teams.

Construction of the four facilities will be based on Enel Green Power's 'Sustainable Construction Site' model, including the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels at each building site to cover part of their energy needs. Moreover, water-saving measures will be implemented via the installation of water tanks and rainwater collection systems. After the completion of construction works, both the PV panels and water-saving equipment will be donated for public usage to the municipalities where the projects are located.

The 10 wind farms under construction in Teruel and Zaragoza are part of the 540 MW that EGPE was awarded in the renewable energy capacity auctions held by the government in May 2017. In Aragón, the company has earmarked around 434 million euros of investment for the construction of 12 wind farms with a total capacity exceeding 370 MW, generating some 1,240 GWh per year. The remaining 170 MW of wind capacity will be located in Andalusia, Castilla y León, Castilla La Mancha and Galicia. Once operational, all of the new wind facilities will generate a total of around 1,750 GWh each year. In Extremadura and Murcia, EGPE has also started construction on 339 MW of solar capacity awarded to the company in the government's July 2017 tender.

The total investment for the construction of the 879 MW of wind (540 MW) and solar (339 MW) facilities awarded in the two latest tenders will exceed 800 million euros by 2020. These projects will increase EGPE's renewable capacity by 52.4%.

Endesa currently manages over 6,526 MW of renewable capacity in Spain. Out of this capacity, 4,710 MW come from conventional hydro generation, while the remainder, of over 1,816 MW, are managed by EGPE, and include wind (1,750 MW), mini-hydro (52 MW) and other renewable energy sources (14 MW).

Enel Green Power, the global renewable energy business line of Enel, the Group Endesa belongs to, is dedicated to the development and operation of renewables across the world, with a presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Enel Green Power is a global leader in the green energy sector with a managed capacity of around 43 GW across a generation mix that includes wind, solar, geothermal and hydropower, and is at the forefront of integrating innovative technologies into renewable power plants.