Iberdrola's 50 MW PV project online:Iberdrola has commissioned its 1st solar power plant with 50 MW capacity in Spain's Castile-La Mancha. The Barcience Solar Power Plant in Bargas, Toledo is equipped with 144,900 modules and includes several Spanish suppliers as Arteche, FCC-Abengoa, Mesa, Siemsa, Garoc and Reneergy, according to the company. In Castile-La Mancha, Iberdrola operates 2,386 MW of renewable energy capacity, majorly comprising wind power. The company is developing another PV project in Ciudad Real in Castile-La Mancha's Puertollano region as part of a green hydrogen production plant for industrial use in Europe (see 100 MW Solar Facility For Green Hydrogen In Spain).
Iberdrola currently has a project portfolio of more than 17 GW in the Iberian region, and is building 1.2 GW of renewable energy generation facilities.
Sonnedix building 50 MW in Spain: Spanish solar IPP Sonnedix has started construction on what it says will be the company's largest solar project to be built in Spain, with 50 MW capacity. The Soonedix Los Frailes Solar Power Plant in Badajoz, Spain will spread across 111-hectare space, utilizing more than 110,000 monocrystalline solar panels and connected through a transmission line to the Vaguadas substation and it will produce close to 102,000 MWh annually on completion. Developed in collaboration with Viridi RE Group, the project is contracted for 10 years under a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Statkraft to supply 100 GWh annually which, according to Sonnedix makes it the company's '1st PPA for a grid-parity project in Spain' (see Statkraft To Get Solar Power From 50 MW).
Restructuring for Meyer Burger's PV equipment business: Swiss-German Solar PV equipment maker turned solar cell and module maker Meyer Burger Technology sees demand for its service business for existing customers of production equipment coming down. To align its business activities with the reduced demand and its altered business model, Meyer Burger will concentrate on Shanghai and Singapore locations making these as its service business centers for existing customers of its production equipment. While in Shanghai, Meyer Burger Trading Co. will become the competence center for Asian markets for the sales and service of its high-precision measurement technology products through its subsidiary Pasan, from Singapore it will continue to provide services for existing Asian customers.
European and US locations of the company will continue to provide services for existing customers in these regions, as well as for customers outside of Asia. With this, Meyer Burger will shutter its existing sites in Korea, Malaysian and in the region of Taiwan. It expects restructuring costs of around CHF 3.5 million and impairment charges of close to CHF 1.1 million when the restructuring process is complete by the end of 2021.
"With this restructuring, Meyer Burger further optimizes its global organizational structure in alignment with its transformation into a manufacturer of high-performance solar modules and strengthens the company's future profitability," it stated.
Axpo Iberia clinches 25 MW PV capacity in Portugal: International investment company Aquila Capital has signed a series of power purchase agreements (PPA) for power to be generated by 4 solar plant with 25 MW combined capacity in Portugal. The long-term PPAs, ranging between 5 and 7 years, have been entered with Axpo Iberia which will purchase 100% renewable energy to be generated by the projects. All projects together will generate about 58 GWh of clean power annually, and are part of Aquila Capital's Portuguese portfolio of around 700 MW. Aquila Capital said this is the company's 1st time to have secured a series of PPAs for an entire portfolio in Portugal.