British company SSE Renewables has arrived in Spain by building its first onshore wind farm in the country. The project is located in Santa Engracia del Gobera (La Rioja) and will contain 11 wind turbines from the German brand Nordex and about 64 MW of power. This is the second project to begin construction since the company has acquired 2.4 GW of wind and onshore projects in southern Europe by 2022, after construction began on the complex in September last year at the Chintrex-Berges and Ville wind farm, in the north. -Eastern France.
SSE Renewables is a developer and operator of renewable energy based in the UK and Ireland. It is the renewable energy arm of UK-listed energy infrastructure company SSE Plc. It has an operating portfolio of approximately 4.5 GW of installed capacity for onshore wind, offshore wind and hydropower generation, of which it produces approximately 10 terawatt-hours (TWh), and a development portfolio of approximately 15 GW. It plans to invest about 8 billion euros until 2027 to increase its installed capacity by about 9 gigawatts.
The British company aspires to be a well-known player in Spain, where it has a portfolio of renewable projects with a capacity of 320 megawatts in an advanced stage of development, including the Jubera project. Civil engineering work has begun in the Rioja region with the aim of completing construction in two years and starting operation at the end of 2025. It is expected to be in operation for 30 years.
“Spain is an important market for SSE renewables,” says Director of Development and Construction for Southern Europe, Angel Hernandez, in a statement, and hopes to “help achieve the country’s ambitious renewable energy goals” by creating a portfolio of 320 renewable energy plants. Megawatts of projects under development.
“The start of construction of this wind farm in Santa Engracia del Gobera is a very important milestone for the company in the country, and also shows our commitment to providing renewable energy to as many Spanish homes as possible. Our goal is to be a major player in Spain and lead the transition to net zero by developing And investing, building and exploiting renewable energies. We hope that this project in La Rioja will be the first of many projects for the company in the country,” adds the General Manager. Development in Spain of Renewable Energy SSE, Juan Barreiro.
Environmental monitoring
During the construction phase, the company will implement an environmental monitoring programme, with a dedicated environmental specialist who will be present on site, while once the wind farm is operational and to avoid bird collisions, the company will install a detection device and anti-collision system on the turbines. In addition, thermal cameras with 3D night vision will be used to monitor the passage of bats, so that when necessary the turbines can be stopped to protect them.
Once construction is complete, the complex will generate enough low-carbon renewable energy to power about 55,000 homes annually and offset nearly 34,000 metric tons of carbon from electricity generation annually, according to the accounting firm. In addition, the company expects the project to generate more than 200 direct and indirect full-time jobs.
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