News
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28/12/2020
The Iberdrola Spain Foundation moves its exhibition 'The Prado Museum in the Streets' to Guadalajara, with reproductions of its most iconic works The Iberdrola Spain Foundation has relocated its successful cultural initiative 'The Prado Museum in the Streets' to Guadalajara. This project aims to promote knowledge and communicate the Prado Museum’s collections and the cultural identity of its historical heritage by launching educational programmes and cultural outreach activities. It also aims to virtually recreate the experience of visiting the museum by allowing visitors to contemplate the paintings in their life-sized dimensions, providing an experience similar to that of being in front of the actual works of art. Until 27 January, the exhibition, that was inaugurated this morning by Alberto Rojo, Mayor of Guadalajara; Andrés Úbeda, Deputy Director of Conservation and Research at the Museo Nacional del Prado; Ramón Castresana, director of the Iberdrola Spain Foundation; and Eusebio Robles, delegate of the Government of Castilla-La Mancha in Guadalajara, and will be showing to provide the people of Guadalajara with the opportunity to see 50 of the most important works in the Madrid collection through full-size photographic reproductions, although some pictures will have to be clipped to fit the dimensions of the exhibition panels (184 x 122 cm) situated in the Parque de la Concordia, one of the city's most iconic locations. This large, open-air exhibition, curated by Fernando Pérez Suescun, Head of Educational Content at the Prado Museum, enables visitors to tour the different artistic schools covered by the Prado Museum's permanent collections and learn about the history of Spain, Europe and Western art in general, as painted by the great masters. The Spanish, Italian, Flemish, French, German and Dutch schools will be represented through artists from the 12th century to the early 20th century. The show also has bilingual information panels on each of the works, as well as bilingual panels with information on the history of the Museum and its collections. The reproductions are shown at a scale of 1:1. Due to the dimensions of the exhibition stands, this means that some of the larger works are represented by just a detail of one of their most impressive and memorable sections. However, the entire painting will be shown in the explanatory panel. After the great success of the exhibition during the museum's bicentenary celebrations, 'The Prado Museum in the Streets' began its journey through Castile-La Mancha on 13 July in Sigüenza and will travel to eight cities in Castile-La Mancha over ten months. In addition to Sigüenza, Puertollano, Tomelloso, Ciudad Real, Toledo and Guadalajara the exhibition will visit Cuenca and Talavera de la Reina. The Iberdrola Spain Foundation is a Protector member of the Prado Museum Through its foundation in Spain , one of Iberdrola’s main areas of activity is cultural development, focusing on the care and maintenance of cultural and artistic treasures. The Iberdrola Spain Foundation has thus been working in partnership with the Prado Museum since 2010 to support conservation and restoration programmes undertaken by the art gallery, and offers four annual scholarships for young art restorers. The Foundation is also keen to join in the Special Programme for the Prado Museum’s bicentenary celebrations, especially with the launch of this travelling exhibition in Spain. Since 2011, the Iberdrola Foundation has allocated a total of €13 million to art and culture, focusing its resources primarily on the restoration programme to support the restoration workshops of leading museums for the conservation of their pictorial and artistic heritage. The foundation also supports the Lighting Programme, which includes the design, execution and financing of artistic projects to light up iconic buildings and monuments. READ MORE
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21/12/2020
Iberdrola obtains a favourable EIS for the Puertollano photovoltaic plant which will supply power to Europe's largest green hydrogen plant Iberdrola has obtained a positive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the photovoltaic plant in Puertollano which will supply energy to the first and also the largest green hydrogen production plant to be launched for industrial use in Europe. The renewables project, with 100 MW of installed capacity, brings together several innovative elements, both from a technological point of view and in terms of storage capacity: * The installation will have bifacial panels which have never been used before in company projects and which allow for greater production since they have two light-sensitive surfaces, meaning that the installation will have a longer useful life; * The plant has been designed with cluster or “string” inverters, which improve the yield and allow better use of the surface area; * The project will have a storage system, which will facilitate plant management. The battery system (with a power of 5 MW) will have a storage capacity of 20 MWh. With a total investment of 150 million EUR, including the photovoltaic plant, the storage system and a 20 MW electrolyser, the project will create 700 jobs. The project is planned to come into operation in 2021 and, once this happens, it will prevent the emission of 39,000 tCO2/year and the clean energy generated will be used to produce green hydrogen for the Fertiberia group's plant in the town, thereby making it the first European company in its sector to be able to produce green fertilisers. Further information: Key data on Europe's most ambitious green hydrogen innovation project. The Puertollano green hydrogen plant project will be the first in an ambitious initiative, developed within the framework of the alliance between Iberdrola and Fertiberia to place Spain at the forefront of green hydrogen in Europe, with the installation of 800 MW of electrolysis by 2027 and a total investment of 1.8 billion euros. During its construction, the complete project could promote the generation of 4,000 jobs through 500 local suppliers. With this plan, Iberdrola would put into operation the equivalent of 20% of the national target, which envisages the installation of 4 GW of green hydrogen by 2030, and would ensure that around 25% of the hydrogen currently consumed in Spain does not generate CO2 emissions. Green investments to promote the recovery of the economy and employment Iberdrola is convinced that the energy transition can act as a key vector in the transformation of the industrial fabric and the green recovery of the economy and employment. With this in mind, Iberdrola has launched a historic investment programme worth €75 billion for 2020-2025, 14.3 billion of which will go to Spain, with the aim of doubling its renewable capacity and taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the energy revolution that the world's major economies are facing. In Castilla-La Mancha, Iberdrola operates 2,229 MW of renewable energy, mainly wind, which places it as the autonomous community with the third highest ‘green’ megawatts installed by the company. In the region, together with Puertollano (100 MW), it will develop three further photovoltaic projects, with an installed capacity of 150 MW, in Cuenca and Toledo. After 20 years promoting the energy transition in Spain, Iberdrola leads in renewable energy in the country, with an installed renewable capacity exceeding 16,700 MW in September 2020 - an amount that rises to more than 33,000 MW worldwide, making its generation facilities among the cleanest in the energy sector. With CO2/kWh emissions already two-thirds below the European average, the investment strategy in networks and clean energy will make Iberdrola a “carbon neutral” company in Europe by 2030. READ MORE
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21/12/2020
Iberdrola, spearheading PPAs Iberdrola has gained a wealth of experience in Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and is currently managing several long-term agreements in markets such as Spain, the UK, the USA, Mexico and Australia linked to onshore wind and solar power projects, adding up to a total capacity of 6,500 megawatts (MW). The customers signing these contracts include market leaders, such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Nike. There are also telephone operators such as Brazil’s Claro, Vodafone and Orange, pharma giants like Bayer in Mexico and Spain, and food and beverage firms such as Heineken and Grupo Modelo. United States The group chaired by Ignacio Galán first ventured into the world of long-term renewable energy agreements in the USA, where Iberdrola’s subsidiary AVANGRID is the country’s third largest energy producer. It was over a decade ago when the Group began to develop these agreements, and has now signed PPAs across the Atlantic with major American firms, including Apple, Amazon, Nike and Facebook, providing them with green energy from facilities like Montague Wind and Gala Solar, both located in Oregon. In the coming years, Iberdrola will continue to lead the North American PPA market. Through AVANGRID, over 2,000 new megawatts of wind power that were under construction in late 2019 have been allocated to purchase schemes under these long-term agreements: In terms of new offshore wind developments, AVANGRID has already secured PPAs for its future Park City Wind (804 MW) and Vineyard I (800 MW) farms. Pioneers in the Spanish PPA market In Spain, Iberdrola has taken pioneering steps in this type of contract, with projects reaching a joint capacity of 1,600 MW for companies from a whole host of sectors: banking, telecommunications, the beer industry, distribution, sports and pharmaceuticals. The latest to sign up was Bayer last November. This marks the first long-term agreement between a power corporation and a pharmaceutical company in Spain to purchase clean electricity. Iberdrola will be supplying 100% renewable power to cater for all the electricity purchasing needs of nine of Bayer’s facilities in Spain for ten years starting in 2022. The power will be sourced from the Francisco Pizarro photovoltaic plant —currently the biggest solar project in the pipeline in Europe—, which Iberdrola will be building in the Spanish region of Extremadura, having already received the green light for its environmental impact statement (EIS). Australia, the birthplace of PPAs, joins Mexico, Brazil and the UK After acquiring the Australian firm Infigen, Iberdrola has now entered a market where PPAs have a long-standing tradition. This subsidiary currently has four PPAs for 245 MW. The same applies to Mexico, where Iberdrola is also making progress in increasing its renewable capacity using the PPA format. As a result, at the end of 2019, 368 MW of solar power had already been allocated to agreements of this type. In Brazil, the Iberdrola subsidiary Neoenergia, which is listed on the São Paulo stock exchange, has concluded several contracts to sell power from its renewable facilities amounting to a total capacity in excess of 3,500 MW, including regulated agreements and commercial open-market contracts. The latter include a recent agreement with the telephone operator Claro, which from 2022 will be supplied with clean energy from the Group’s first solar power plant in Brazil, Santa Luzia (149 MW). This model will also be applied at the Oitis and Chafariz wind farms and is already in use in Bahía at the Caetité I farm (30 MW) and the Itapebí hydroelectric power plant (462 MW). In the UK, Iberdrola’s all-green subsidiary ScottishPower is also signing more and more of these agreements. Special mention should be made of the Amazon and Tesco contracts signed in 2019, which will see the company build two wind power facilities with a joint capacity of 80 MW to supply the two firms with clean energy. READ MORE
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18/12/2020
Iberdrola reinforces its offshore wind strategy by entering the Polish market Iberdrola has reinforced its commitment to offshore wind with an agreement in Poland, a new market for the company, as it continues to grow its renewable energy business. The company has reached an agreement to acquire a 50% stake in developer Sea Wind which has seven-project pipeline in early stages of development, with a potential capacity up to 7.3 GW. The deal allows Iberdrola to further enhance its strategy of geographical diversification in markets with favourable investment conditions, such as the A-credit-rated Poland. The move also allows the company to position itself in the initial stage of development of the country's offshore wind market, with great growth potential in the coming decades. With this transaction Iberdrola is also promoting the creation of an offshore wind hub in the Baltic Sea which would act as the epicentre of offshore services and local content for the company's projects in Germany, Poland and Sweden. The agreement between Iberdrola and Sea Wind creates a solid alliance, which is also open to the incorporation of Polish partners in the future. Sea Wind has an experienced team in offshore wind development and in-depth knowledge of the Polish market. Both companies previously worked together in the development of the Baltic Eagle project off the German coast. Long-term vision, aligned with Poland’s energy plans The size of the Polish offshore wind market and its geographical location in the Baltic Sea allows Iberdrola to commit technical and financial capacities to a long-term vision, aligned with the country's energy plans. Poland has implemented a strategy to decarbonise its energy mix while boosting energy independence and has plans to install up to 8 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. The Baltic Sea has an offshore wind energy potential of 93 GW, 28 GW of which are in Polish waters. Diversification strategy in new markets The alliance with Sea Wind is in-line with Iberdrola's strategy to consolidate as the world's largest renewable energy company and builds on previous transactions carried out in recent years in the offshore wind business. These operations have allowed for the development of projects in the German Baltic Sea (Wikinger and Baltic Eagle), the North Sea (East Anglia ONE and The East Anglia Hub), the Irish Sea (West of Duddon Sands), the coast of Massachusetts (Vineyard Wind), and the coast of Britany (Saint Brieuc). More recently, the company has gained access to early stage pipelines in Sweden (9 GW) and Japan (+3 GW). Prior to the today’s transaction, the company had an offshore wind project pipeline of 20.2 GW. With this alliance in Poland, Iberdrola has completed its tenth corporate transaction so far this year, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. In addition to the offshore wind energy transactions in France, Sweden and Japan, the company has also acquired the French renewable energy company Aalto Power; reached agreements to develop 165 MW of onshore wind capacity in Scotland and 400 MW in Brazil; reinforced ownership of Saint Brieuc offshore wind project to 100%; acquired Infigen Energy – to become one of the leading renewable energy operators in Australia; acquired PNM Resources - an electricity company in New Mexico and Texas; and, only recently, acquired the Brazilian distributor CEB-D in Brasilia. Green investments to promote economic recovery Iberdrola believes that the energy transition can act as a key driving force in the transformation of industry, a green economic recovery and job creation. With this focus Iberdrola has launched a major €75 billion investment plan for the 2020-2025 period, with the aim of doubling its renewable capacity and taking advantage of the opportunities created by the energy revolution in the world's major economies. After twenty years driving the energy transition, with investments of over €120 billion, Iberdrola is a leader in renewable energy, with an installed capacity of more than 33 GW, making its generation fleet one of the cleanest in the energy industry. With CO2/kWh emissions already two thirds lower than the European average, the investment strategy in clean energy and networks will lead Iberdrola to become carbon neutral in Europe by 2030. READ MORE
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16/12/2020
Iberdrola reformulates its governance and sustainability system around ESG criteria Iberdrola's Board of Directors has adapted its Governance and Sustainability System —the new name for its regulatory system—, articulating its content around the three main aspects the international investment community uses to measure the impact and sustainability of its investments: environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG ). Thus, the Governance and Sustainability System is now divided into five books: the Articles of Association; the Proposal that, together with the Iberdrola Group's Purpose and Values and Code of Ethics, incorporates the General Sustainable Development Policy and the Stakeholder Relations Policy ; the book related to the environment, implemented through environmental and climate change policies; social commitment, which includes social policies and, lastly, corporate governance, which includes, in addition to corporate governance policies, risk policies and governance standards related to preventing market abuse. This new initiative, aligned with its sustainable development strategy and its social dividend, consolidates the company's position at the forefront of the best international practices in corporate governance in a context in which the impact of COVID-19 has underlined the need for the recovery from the crisis to be based on social and sustainability parameters. 'Diversity and inclusion policy' and trends in digital disconnection International trends in social matters highlight the growing importance of diversity and inclusion policies. In this context, along with the reformulation of its internal regulations, Iberdrola's Board of Directors has approved a Diversity and Inclusion Policy to incorporate the latest trends in this area into its internal regulations. The new policy reinforces the company's role as a lever for and engine of change, in addition to strengthening its commitment to addressing current social challenges such as promoting diversity, equality, inclusion and a sense of belonging. Iberdrola seeks to maintain a favourable environment that facilitates and enhances the diversity and inclusion of its professionals, whilst guaranteeing freedom from discrimination. The first Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019 compiles the initiatives undertaken by the company in those matters considered a strategic priority for the company's sustainable growth in relation to its teams, customers, suppliers and with the communities in which it operates.In the report, Iberdrola chairman Ignacio Galán, explains that "the great differentiating factor for companies' success in the 21st century is talent. For this reason, having a diverse team and a culture that encourages inclusion is essential for any group that aspires to face the challenges of a changing reality". And he adds: "A diverse and inclusive company is better at attracting and retaining talent and is more innovate, thereby becoming more productive and more open to the society it serves". Iberdrola has also included a specific section on digital disconnection and respect for workers' private lives in its Human Resources Framework Policy, codifying the Company's practices in response to the most recent organisational dynamics. The company thus promotes the effective separation of professional and personal areas, with special attention to disconnecting digital devices, without favouring or discriminating against professionals and taking into account the diversity of its different professional groups. READ MORE
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16/12/2020
Iberdrola llena de luz el interior de la Catedral de Palencia El interior de la Catedral de Palencia estrena iluminación tras culminar el proyecto desarrollado por Iberdrola, que ha contado con el apoyo de empresas palentinas, y que ha llenado de luz uno de los mayores símbolos de la ciudad -declarada Monumento Nacional en 1929-, poniendo en valor y realzando el conjunto arquitectónico y modernizando su iluminación ornamental. La inauguración de la nueva iluminación ha contado con la asistencia del obispo de Palencia, Manuel Herrero; el alcalde de la ciudad, Mario Simón Martín; el director de la Fundación Iberdrola España, Ramón Castresana; el consejero de Cultura y Turismo de la Junta de Castilla y León, Javier Ortega; el deán-presidente del Cabildo, Ángel de la Torre; el delegado de Iberdrola en Castilla y León, Miguel Calvo, y el delegado diocesano de patrimonio y canónigo del Cabildo, José Luis Calvo. Los trabajos realizados en los últimos cuatro meses resaltan la belleza de los elementos arquitectónicos que conforman el conjunto a través de un diseño respetuoso con los valores patrimoniales y espirituales del edificio al aplicar la tecnología LED más avanzada con la instalación de un total de 239 focos de diferentes tipologías con una potencia de sólo 9,6 kW. El proyecto contribuye también a la sostenibilidad, al mejorar la eficiencia energética casi un 55% y evitar la emisión de 3,5 toneladas de CO2 al año. La nueva iluminación ornamental interior ha puesto el foco en las bóvedas de la nave central y laterales, el trascoro, el coro, el Retablo Mayor y la Capilla del Sagrario. Además, se ha dado un tratamiento especial a la nueva iluminación de la cripta dotándola de unas luminarias encastradas en cilindros de alabastro que se han diseñado expresamente para este proyecto. Esta iluminación artística potencia el significado intrínseco de la arquitectura de la catedral a través de la luz y complementa la iluminación funcional que se mantiene en el templo. Asimismo, es lo suficientemente flexible y versátil como para programar niveles de iluminación diferenciados para el culto y para las visitas turísticas. Iberdrola, con la promoción del arte y la cultura Una de las principales áreas de actuación de Iberdrola, a través de su fundación en España, se centra en el cuidado, conservación y puesta en valor de las riquezas histórico-artísticas. El Programa de Iluminaciones tiene como principal objetivo desarrollar intervenciones en edificios singulares para instalar o mejorar sus sistemas de iluminación interior y/o exterior con el fin de contribuir a la puesta en valor del patrimonio histórico-artístico. Desde el año 2011, el volumen de inversión destinado al Programa de Iluminaciones se ha elevado a más de 3 millones de euros y ha supuesto la mejora de más de 40 monumentos en España, entre los que destacan la Catedral de Ávila, el interior de la Catedral Nueva de Salamanca, el histórico Puente Romano de Alcántara, en Cáceres, o la fachada del Congreso de los Diputados y el Palacio del Tribunal Supremo, en Madrid. READ MORE
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15/12/2020
Iberdrola and Sonae Sierra promote electric mobility Iberdrola and Sonae Sierra are committed to electric mobility as a way to combat climate change. To this end, the energy company has just installed rapid charging points for electric vehicles at 2 shopping centres managed by Sonae Sierra: Max Center, located in Barakaldo (Vizcaya), and Área Sur, in Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz). They will soon be joined by the Milenium shopping centre, also managed by Sonae Sierra and located in Majadahonda (Madrid), where Iberdrola is putting the finishing touches to the installation of this infrastructure. With this infrastructure in place, people using these three shopping centres will be able to charge their electric car batteries in approximately 30 minutes using completely 100% green energy, from clean sources, which have certificates guaranteeing its renewable origins (GoOs). With this initiative, Iberdrola progresses in its plan to roll out sustainable mobility infrastructure across the country. The charging points are now registered on the Iberdrola Public Charging app, the only app in Spain that incorporates verified information from all the electric vehicle charging points, those that belong to Iberdrola as well as other operators. The app enables drivers to locate charging stations, check the operational status in real time, reserve a charging point as well as pay with a mobile phone. “This strategic agreement emphasises the importance of working in collaboration with all the players involved in sustainable mobility. Sonae Sierra is an excellent partner with whom to develop our roll out implementing charging solutions and thus respond to the challenges of electric mobility in our country", explains Raquel Blanco, Global Director of Smart Mobility at Iberdrola. Meanwhile, Enrique Suárez, Sonae Sierra’s Director of Operations in Spain, highlighted: “We are living in changing times where it is vitally important to promote innovation, adaptation and transformation. At Sonae Sierra, we have been pioneers in integrating sustainability principles into the property sector, and this partnership with Iberdrola is a highly significant step in our strategy towards achieving more sustainable mobility”. Electric mobility and green recovery Iberdrola continues its commitment to transport electrification in its transition strategy towards a decarbonised economy, as a key way of reducing emissions and pollution and ensuring the green recovery. The company is implementing a sustainable mobility plan with an investment of 150 million euros, resulting in an increased roll-out of charging points for electric vehicles over the coming years. The initiative will see the installation of around 150,000 charge points in homes, companies and on the public road network in cities as well as on the main motorways and highways over the next five years. The commitment to deploying high-efficiency charging points will include the company installing ultra-rapid (350 kW) charging points every 200 kilometres, super-rapid points (150 kW) every 100 kilometres, and rapid (50 kW) points every 50 kilometres. Iberdrola is aware of the need to boost electric mobility in Spain through coordinated, effective action involving the major players. The company continues to identify opportunities to generate an industrial, commercial and innovation ecosystem to consolidate the development of sustainable mobility. As a result, it has now completed more than 40 infrastructure roll-out agreements with government departments, institutions, companies, service stations and vehicle dealers and manufacturers. The company has recently become the first Spanish business to subscribe to The Climate Group's EV100 initiative, with the aim of accelerating the transition towards electric vehicles with a commitment to electrifying its entire fleet of vehicles , enabling staff to charge their vehicles at its outlets in Spain and the United Kingdom by 2030. READ MORE
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15/12/2020
Iberdrola enhances the facades of the Palacio del Tribunal Supremo, the seat of the Spanish Supreme Court in Madrid, with some innovative illumination Today, at a ceremony attended by Fundación Iberdrola España, the main entrances to the seat of the Supreme Court in Madrid came alive with new decorative lighting. The event was attended by the President of the Supreme Court and President of the General Council of the Judiciary, Carlos Lesmes; the Minister of Justice, Juan Carlos Campo; and the president of Fundación Iberdrola España, Fernando Garcia. With this project, Fundación Iberdrola has drawn attention to the central parts of the facade of the Supreme Court to make them focal points in their surroundings, namely Plaza Villa de París and Calle Marqués de la Ensenada, while leaving the other sides of the building in darkness. This solution avoids any negative impact of the lighting on the surrounding area. The design achieves a “natural lighting” effect by using even vertical lighting projected from ground level up to a certain height, allowing the inner face of the cornices to cast shadows that form descending horizontal bands reminiscent of those produced by sunlight. Adjustable spotlights have been used to achieve even, neutral white lighting. More than 70 projectors and 130 flexible LED cable have been installed, whose total power is just 4.3 kW. The project, which cost more than 180,000 euros, falls within one of the main areas where Fundación Iberdrola España seeks to make a contribution: cultural development and conservation of historic and artistic heritage. About the Palacio del Tribunal Supremo This architectural ensemble was built at the order of Barbara of Portugal to house the nuns of the Order of the Visitation in Spain. The intention was that the building would be used as both a convent and as a school for daughters of the nobility. The institution was active until 1870, when the nuns were evicted and the convent became a courthouse. The building was ravaged by two fires, the most serious of which occurred in 1915, which left the church almost unscathed but completely destroyed the rest. A reconstruction project began in 1926 to build a suitable national courthouse, in keeping with those found in other European states. Iberdrola supports art and culture One of Iberdrola's main areas of activity, through its Foundation in Spain, is the conservation and promotion of historic and artistic treasures. The main objective of the Fundación Iberdrola España Illumination Programme is to act in unique buildings to install or improve indoor and outdoor lighting in order to contribute to enhancing historical and artistic heritage. Since 2011, the investment assigned to the Illumination Programme has exceeded 3 million euros, and has resulted in improvements to around 40 monuments in Spain, including the Roman Bridge in Alcántara, Cáceres; the facade to the Congress of Deputies in Madrid; the Cathedral in Ávila and the interior of the New Cathedral in Salamanca. READ MORE
