Iberdrola plans another giant solar park in Spain

Spanish electric utility Iberdrola is planning two solar parks with a total generation capacity of 800 MW near Cuenca, in the central-southern region of Castilla-La Mancha.

According to press agency Europapress, the project would consist of two solar parks – Tarancón I and II – which would each have a 400 MW capacity and would be located between the municipalities of Belinchón, Tarancón and Barajas de Melo, in the first case, and between Huelves, Paredes, Alcázar del Rey and Campos del Paraíso in the other.

Both projects are still in the preliminary development phase and their approvals process has not yet started.

Biggest yet

If implemented, the development would be the largest solar project announced by the utility in Spain. Three weeks ago, Iberdrola announced it intends to build a 590 MW solar plant in the municipal areas of Torrecillas de la Tiesa and Aldeacentenera, near Cáceres in Extremadura.

That project, named Francisco Pizarro, will require investment of approximately €300 million and will be added to an Iberdrola portfolio of 2 GW of projects in Spain, including the 50 MW Andévalo PV project in Andalusia; the 50 MW Romeral scheme in Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha; and PV plants Ceclavín (328 MW), Arenales (150 MW) and Campo Arañuelo I and II (50 MW each) in Extremadura.

Another big scheme under construction is the Núñez de Balboa project in Usagre, near Badajoz, for which Iberdrola secured a PPA with Spanish distribution group Uvesco (BM Supermercados) in November. The first PPA for the Nuñez de Balboa facility was signed with financial services provider Kutxabank in July. In mid-October Iberdrola secured its second PPA for the project from Spanish and Basque country-based telecoms company Euskatel.