26 Nov Bruc and Solarpack open a 100 MW photovoltaic plant in Extremadura
• The solar energy plant will generate enough energy for 40,000 homes and will save 53,000 tons of CO2 emissions a year.
• The opening was attended by the president of the Junta of Extremadura, Guillermo Fernández Vara, the mayor of Badajoz, Francisco Javier Fragoso, and the Junta of Extremadura’s sustainability and ecological transition minister, Olga García García.
• Bruc Iberia Energy Investment Partners bought the plant in 2019 from Solarpack, which will continue to operate and maintain the project.
Bruc Iberia Energy Investment Partners, a renewable energy investment fund manager, and Solarpack Corporación Tecnológica (“Solarpack”), a Getxo-based solar photovoltaic (PV) multinational, today opened a 100-MW PV plant in Alvarado-La Risca, Badajoz (Extremadura).
The new PV plant, which covers an area of 150 hectares, will save 53,000 tons of CO2 emissions a year and will provide enough energy to supply 40,000 homes. The sale of energy from the plant is backed by a long-term power purchase agreement.
Bruc Iberia Energy Partners bought the Alvarado plant from Solarpack in November 2019. It was the firm’s first investment in Spain.
Attending the opening were the president of the Junta of Extremadura, Guillermo Fernández Vara; the Junta of Extremadura’s sustainability and ecological transition minister, Olga García García; and the mayor of Badajoz, Francisco Javier Fragoso.
The president of the Junta of Extremadura pointed out that Extremadura is “the region in Spain where it’s easiest to develop energy projects, which isn’t by chance but a result of legislative changes to make it possible.” In relation to this, he highlighted the role that the authorities have in “supporting companies and eliminating barriers and obstacles to facilitate working in this age of change that we are seeing and that is full of opportunities.”
Fernández Vara pointed out that the relocation of the value chain is putting Extremadura in a very favorable position thanks to the fact that “we have sun, water and ground.” Furthermore, he underscored how Extremadura is aiming to be the leader in Spain for renewable energy production by 2030, as outlined in Extremadura’s Integrated Energy and Climate Plan. “At least 20% of all the renewable energy produced in Spain will come from Extremadura, increasing our GDP, our employment and our wealth,” he said.
Francisco Javier Fragoso, mayor of Badajoz, said today was a further step in the city’s commitment towards the environment and sustainable growth, within the framework of the “Badajoz se cuida” green strategy. This commitment is underscored by the fact that solar energy production exceeds energy consumption in the municipality. He also pointed out that sustainability, energy efficiency, emissions reduction and air quality are among the council’s main lines of action, with measures including the launch of the largest fleet of electric buses in Spain (in absolute terms) and Europe (in percentage terms), a transition from traditional to LED lighting, the continuing installation of charging points and stations, the expansion of the BIBA public cycle system and the creation of carsharing and pay-per-use intelligent electric vehicle mobility systems. These council actions, along with the completion of the Iberian Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (Centro Ibérico de Energías Renovables y Eficiencia Energética or CIERE in Spanish), will enable Badajoz to become a European leader in energy sustainability.
Meanwhile, Bruc’s chairman, Juan Béjar, said: “The Alvarado plant is a milestone for the growth of our business, which has become an emerging force in the renewable energy sector.”Béjar said he hoped regulation could smooth the transition to non-polluting energies that would be key for the decarbonization of the Spanish economy.
Pablo Burgos, Solarpack general manager, commented: “These 100 MW are another milestone in the road towards accomplishing our strategic plan. They reinforce our presence in Extremadura, which is and will continue to be the scene of one of Solarpack’s main bets on sustainable growth. We value having clients of the stature of Bruc Iberia, which demonstrate the quality of our projects.” This is Solarpack’s fifth plant in Extremadura, where it has a total of 121 MW, and its eleventh in Spain, where it has a total installed capacity of 295 MW.
About Bruc Iberia
Bruck Iberia is an investment vehicle managed by Bruc Management. Its shareholders include OPTrust, Green Investment Group and Juan Béjar. Bruc Management, meanwhile, manages renewable energy funds and currently has assets in Spain and Japan. Although its first investments were in Japan, the firm has grown rapidly in Spain, where it has close to 1,000 MW under management.
About Solarpack
Solarpack is a multinational company specializing in the development, construction and operation of large-scale solar PV projects with presence in fast-growing markets in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and Africa. Since its foundation in 2005, the company has developed solar PV power plants that represent a total capacity of 966 MW, in addition to having built 659 MW on a turnkey or EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) basis. The company currently generates power through 15 projects totaling 545 MW in Spain, Chile, Peru and India. In addition, Solarpack operates and maintains 22 plants, with a total capacity of 742 MW, and provides asset management services for a total of 583 MW of own and third-party projects. Headquartered in Getxo, Spain, Solarpack has a diversified geographical presence and employs over 240 people in 10 countries.
For more information:
COMCO
Susana Ruiz / Carlota Vicén
solarpack@comco.es
689 033 548 / 609 609 547
BRUC
José Manuel Velasco
josemanuelvelasco@gmail.com
654315520