Solaria Energía gets permit for 595 MW Spanish project; Statkraft announces 492 MW RE complex in Spain; EDPR commissions Spain's '1st' hybrid wind-solar project with same interconnection; Better Energy signs solar deals in Sweden & Denmark; FDE invests in Norway's Greenstat.
Solaria's 595 MW PV project moves forward: Solaria Energía y Medioambiente has secured the administrative construction authorization for its 595 MW Garoña Photovoltaic Project in Spain. It will replace the Santa María de Garoña nuclear power plant that has completed its working life with a much cheaper energy facility, the company stated. The Garoña project in Burgos province will generate clean electricity for about 300,000 homes for a period of 30 years on completion. With this development, Solaria reiterated its target to reach 3 GW capacity by 2024-end. By 2030, it aims to grow its portfolio to 18 GW (see €2.3 Billion To Flow Into European Renewable Energy Projects).
Statkraft's Spanish solar plans: Norwegian energy producer Statkraft has announced plans to develop the Zajuril Renewable Energy Complex in the Spanish province of Cáceres in Extremadura with 492 MW capacity. The €295 million project will be made up of 150 MW Pinea, 114 MW Calzadilla, 137 MW of Ahigal Cerezo, and 91 MW Guijo solar power plants. Entire capacity is targeted to come online in 2028. Statkraft announced this while inaugurating the 55.2 MW Talayuela II Solar Plant in the vicinity of 300 MW Talayuela Solar Plant. It has secured €2.5 million aid from the Spanish government to add 21.6 MW/2 hours battery storage system to the Talayuela II plant by 2025.
EDPR's hybrid project in Spain: EDP Renewables has announced the commissioning of Spain's '1st' wind-solar hybrid park with the same connection point. It comprises the 14.5 MW Cruz de Hierro Wind Farm and more than 25,000 bifacial solar panels. The 28.75 MW hybrid project is located in Santa María del Cubillo in Ávila. It is expected to generate over 58 GWh annually. EDPR says it was the 1st company in Spain to receive authorization to connect this plant by the Spanish Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDEA). It plans to commission 2 more hybrid farms in Spain in the coming months and has more than 15 wind-solar hybridization projects with a combined capacity of over 230 MW in Spain to be realized in the coming years.
Corporate solar PPA in Sweden: Denmark-based Better Energy has signed a 10-year offtake agreement for its upcoming solar park in Sweden with urban furniture manufacturer Vestre. It will enable the company to cover energy consumption at its Swedish facilities. Better Energy is developing the Studsvik Solar Project without subsidies to generate 25 GWh of renewable energy annually once it comes online in late 2024. Better Energy says it will be amongst the largest solar parks in Sweden on completion.
Solar & storage partnership in Denmark: Earlier this month, Better Energy announced a 'billion Euro' joint partnership worth with Denmark's leading energy and fiber-optic group Andel to construct 15 energy parks with 2 GW combined capacity between 2024 and 2028. The joint venture with 50:50 partners will also explore energy storage and nature and biodiversity within the portfolio. Each party will, however, sell its share of the power and also handle marketing and customer contact on its own.
FDE stake in Greenstat: La Française de l'Énergie (FDE), a carbon-negative energy producer, has acquired a controlling stake in the Norwegian green energy operator Greenstat ASA. The latter has a strong focus on hydrogen and solar energy that it develops, owns and selectively operates. Its current portfolio comprises around 450 MW in gross capacity. Greenstat was selected by the Norway government's Enova to develop 3 hydrogen projects with 20 MW capacity each to start construction in 2024. The transaction involves 3 equity tranches over 18 months.