Iberdrola starts work on four photovoltaic plants in Setúbal

  • Lusa
  • 9 February 2022

Iberdrola says these four solar farms "will generate 500 jobs at peak periods of activity" and that when operational, they would "generate enough clean energy to supply over 48,000 families".

Spain’s Iberdrola announced on Wednesday that it had started construction of four photovoltaic farms with a combined capacity of 86 megawatts (MW) in Setubal, awarded in the solar PV auction held in 2019, with the works employing up to 500 people.

“There are four solar farms located in the Setúbal district, awarded in the 2019 auction: Algeruz II, with 27.35 MW of installed capacity, Conde (13.51 MW), Alcochete I (32.89 MW) and Alcochete II (12.72 MW),” the company said in a statement released today.

According to the company, two of these plants, Alcochete I and Alcochete II, will have bifacial technology, which “achieves greater efficiency, as it has two light-sensitive surfaces.

In this technology, electricity is produced on both sides of the panel, as they have a transparent sheet instead of opaque materials. In addition, the tracker system “allows the movement of the modules according to the path of the sun, maximising energy capture and extending the useful life of the plant, as it suffers less degradation”.

Iberdrola added that these works “will generate 500 jobs at peak periods of activity” and that when operational, they would “generate enough clean energy to supply over 48,000 families”.

The Spanish company also said that annual emissions of around 56,000 tons of carbon dioxide would be avoided.

Iberdrola pointed out that this is a way to “advance its investment strategy in the Iberian Peninsula”. In Portugal, it provides service to “a commercial portfolio of over 870,000 points of supply”.

In addition, the company has 92 MW of wind power in operation and has just “connected to the grid the first group of the Tâmega hydroelectric power plant”, which has a 220 MW pumping turbine.

The “Tâmega gigabatery” is one of the great pumping projects in Europe and includes three dams – Gouvães, Daivões and Alto Tâmega – and three hydroelectric plants “with a capacity of 1,158 MW that will enter into operation progressively until 2024”.

This complex should produce 1,766 GWh per year, “enough to meet the energy needs of the neighbouring municipalities and the cities of Braga and Guimarães (440,000 households)”.