ENDESA S A : connects its first two solar plants in Malaga to the grid

• The two solar power plants, La Vega I and La Vega II, which have a total capacity of 86 MW, have involved an investment of €60 million.
• The works employed more than 380 people during their construction, 70% from Malaga.

Endesa, through its renewable energy division Enel Green Power España (EGPE), has completed the construction of the La Vega I and La Vega II photovoltaic plants, located in the town of Teba.

'The connection of La Vega I and La Vega II to the grid makes me feel proud, not only me, but also the 300 colleagues who made the connection possible in record time for the Malaga region', declared Luca Capuozzo, Endesa's person in charge of their construction.

The photovoltaic plants, in which Endesa has invested €60 million, will add a joint installed capacity of 86 MW, and have been built in record time. Following strict safety measures more than 380 people, 70% of them from Malaga, worked in the construction of these two photovoltaic plants, which will produce 171 GWh per year, which is equivalent to the energy that a town like Ronda consumes in one year. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and in accordance with the guidelines of the health authorities, the company implemented rigorous safety protocols in order to guarantee the necessary protection of the workers involved in the construction, as well as of the communities in which the plants are located.

Vega I and Vega II have a total of 224,600 photovoltaic panels, as well as 14 transformation centres, an electrical substation and some 50 kilometres of underground networks, which were built for their operation. Today the complex has generated the first kilowatt-hours of renewable energy, which have already reached the Andalusian electricity distribution network. The two plants will prevent the emission of more than 79,600 tons of CO2 per year into the atmosphere.

About the construction phase

The construction of the photovoltaic plants La Vega I and La Vega II benefited from use of the latest technology. Endesa uses virtual reality to check these facilities through Smart glasses, which allow remote assistance by supervisors without the need to physically go to the area in question. In addition, this technology incorporates an infrared camera that provides a real-time view of the construction and execution activities.

For the construction of La Vega I and La Vega II, Endesa has followed sustainable engineering criteria and has applied Enel Green Power's 'Sustainable Construction Site' model, including the installation of photovoltaic solar panels to cover part of the energy needs during the work, efficient lighting, waste separation, and provision of several defibrillators to look after workers' health. The material used in these measures, now that the works have been completed, will be donated to the municipality of Teba for public use.

Endesa's philosophy when building its renewable facilities is part of its 'Creation of Shared Value' (CSV) programme that has led the Company to provide training courses in renewable matters for more than 250 people from Teba and its surroundings, most of them unemployed, who now dispose of knowledge in the thriving sector that is the assembly and disassembly of photovoltaic installations.

In addition, in order to guarantee the environmental compatibility of photovoltaic plants, a series of environmental actions have been implemented aimed at conserving the natural wealth of the area. Thus, work is currently being carried out on the implementation of a programme of complementary measures to promote the habitat of the Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus) and the Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax), both species included in the vulnerable category of the Andalusian Catalogue of Threatened Species.

Endesa will also participate in the financing of an ambitious conservation project for the Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni), whose population has been suffering a significant decline in rural areas of Malaga in recent years. This action, which takes place in the Laguna de Fuente de Piedra Natural Reserve, in the municipality of Campillos, will allow the establishment of new colonies through innovative techniques of captive breeding and release, thus helping to strengthen the population of this small hawk in the area.

More solar MW in the province of Malaga

Malaga now has more renewable production, joiningEndesa's existing capabilities in the province, where it has 6 wind power facilities, the last one commissioned a year ago, and 11 hydroelectric plants. This renewable power will be added to by two more photovoltaic plants in the province, currently in the permits stage, in the coming years.

Endesa currently manages, through EGPE, more than 7,812 MW of installed renewable capacity in Spain, which includes: 4,711 MW of conventional hydraulic power; 2,362 MW of wind energy, 657 MW of solar energy, 79 MW of mini-hydraulic energy and 3 MW from other renewable sources.

Enel Green Power, part of the Enel Group, is dedicated to the development and operation of renewables worldwide, with a presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Enel Green Power is a global leader in the green energy sector with an installed capacity of more than 47 GW in a generation combination that includes wind, solar, geothermal and hydroelectric, and is at the forefront of the integration of innovative technologies in renewable energy plants.

Adout Endesa

Endesa is the leading electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. It is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. It is an integrated business operation that encompasses everything from generation to marketing, and through Endesa X it provides added value services aimed at decarbonising the energy used in homes, companies, industries and government agencies. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and as a result decisively promotes the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power Spain, the electrification of the economy and Corporate Social Responsibility. We also work in the latter area through the Endesa Foundation. We have around 10,000 employees. Endesa is part of Enel, the largest electricity group in Europe.