It was developed in collaboration with local partner CEAR, which will continue to support BayWa r.e. in the development phase of the project. The pioneering and innovative project is seen as a model for future combined-cycle projects and will be located in the municipalities of Épila, Lumpiaque and Rueda de Jalón, near Zaragoza in northern Spain.
Each of the three wind farms will consist of eight Nordex wind turbines with a total capacity of 45 MW, bringing the total output to 135 MW. The two photovoltaic systems, with 30 MW and 23 MW respectively, will have a total output of 53 MW. Together, the wind and solar parks will generate around 475 GWh of green electricity per year, which corresponds to the annual consumption of more than 121,000 Spanish households. The five plants require an investment of more than 280 million euros. The electricity will be sold via a power purchase agreement (PPA).
Lesss land used – same grid infrastructure
BayWa r.e. will construct the projects on the same area and start building the wind farms. This means that less land is used and land use is optimized. In addition, the costs for project development and execution can be reduced and the financing conditions improved. By using the same grid infrastructure for the wind and solar parks, considerable additional costs can be saved. All five plants should be operational and connected to the grid by the end of 2025.
This combined wind and solar project is an important milestone for BayWa r.e. as it is one of the first of its kind to be developed in Spain and at the same time a complex undertaking in terms of project planning and execution.
Daniel Gäfke, Global Director of Projects and Board Member at BayWa r.e., says: "We are very excited to embark on the next phase of this flagship project. With its impressive size and the combination of wind and solar energy generation, it is groundbreaking for us. Working closely with the communities is of particular importance to us to ensure that both local people and the environment benefit from the positive impact of Rueda Sur. The project will not only promote biodiversity, but also sustainability and job creation in the region."
The project complies with local environmental protection requirements and the corresponding permit has already been issued. Various measures are intended to enhance the landscape and improve biodiversity. For example, the innovative bird detection system IdentiFlight will be used, which uses artificial intelligence to identify protected bird species. Future initiatives to involve local citizens and promote biodiversity will also be discussed in further project development in dialog with local interest groups.
Further developing energy technologies
Alexander Rothenanger, Global Director of IPP at BayWa r.e., comments: "We are very pleased to be able to further expand our IPP portfolio with Rueda Sur. This brings us a big step closer to our goal of reaching around 2 GW this year. Combining different technologies and energy sources, as in this project, is always a complex but important challenge, which at the same time creates real added value for our diversified portfolio."
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Matthias Taft, CEO of BayWa r.e., adds: "I still remember well how we realized La Muela, our first wind farm in Spain, with 99 MW 21 years ago - a real pioneer project at the time. When I look at Rueda Sur with its innovative combination of technologies, I am proud of how far we have come. I am sure that renewable energy technologies will continue to develop significantly in the coming years - and that they still have considerable potential that needs to be tapped." (hcn)
