News
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08/10/2021Soria hosts the 'Prado Museum in the Streets' exhibition Soria hosts the 'Prado in the Streets' exhibition, promoted by Fundación Iberdrola España and the Prado Museum, with the collaboration of the Castilla y León Regional Government and Soria City Council. This is the sixth location for this travelling exhibition, which began in Salamanca and made its last stops in Valladolid, León, Aguilar de Campoo and Burgos, and which is touring the nine provinces of the region with the aim of raising awareness regarding the collections and the historical heritage attached to the Prado Museum through various educational programmes and cultural outreach activities. The exhibition, which recreates a visit to the museum by displaying the paintings at their true scale, thus providing an experience similar to that of standing in front of a real work of art, can be visited between 8 October and 8 November in the Parque de la Dehesa -Paseo del Cardenal Pimentel-, one of the most famous areas of the city. This successful cultural initiative was inaugurated this morning by Soria City Council's Councillor for Culture, Festivities and Citizen Participation, Jesús Bárez; the President of Fundación Iberdrola España, Fernando García; the Deputy Minister of Culture with the Castilla y León Regional Government, Raúl Fernández Sobrino and the Deputy Director of the Prado Museum, Marina Chinchilla, and will bring 50 of the most important works from the museum's permanent collection to the people of Soria through full-scale photographic reproductions. A journey through the history of Western art 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 are represented through artists from the 12th century to the early 20th century. The exhibition also has bilingual information panels for each work of art, as well as details on the history of the Museum and its collections. The reproductions are shown at a scale of 1:1, however, due to the dimensions of the exhibition stands, this means that, for some of the larger works, only a magnificent and striking part of the work can be seen, with a smaller representation of the entire painting shown in the explanatory panel. In the wake of the enormous success of the exhibition during the celebration of the Museum’s two-hundredth anniversary, “Prado in the Streets" travelled around Castilla la Mancha until 26 April. In almost two years, thousands of visitors have had the chance to behold some of the wonders of the Museum's collection thanks to these accurate reproductions, spreading culture across the region with daily visits that never failed to observe the applicable anti-COVID-19 rules. “Prado in the Streets” began its journey through Castilla y León in Salamanca on 30 April, and over the course of ten months it will travel to other cities in Castilla y León. In addition to Salamanca, Valladolid, León, Aguilar de Campoo and Burgos, its last stop, and Soria, where it is being presented today, it will also be possible to enjoy the exhibition in Segovia, Ávila and Benavente. Fundación Iberdrola España is a supporting member of the Prado Museum Fundación Iberdrola España focuses a key part of its activity on caring for and maintaining Spain’s cultural and artistic wealth. The Foundation has been working with the Prado Museum since 2010 by supporting the gallery’s conservation and restoration programmes, as well as offering four annual grants to young restorers. It was 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, Fundación Iberdrola España has allocated a total of €13 million to art and culture, focusing its resources primarily on the Restoration Programme to support the restoration workshops in leading museums for the conservation of their pictorial and artistic heritage. The Foundation also supports the Lighting Programme, which includes the design, implementation, and financing of artistic projects to light iconic buildings and monuments. READ MORE
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05/10/2021Iberdrola and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia launch a global technology centre that will define the electricity grids of the future The Chairman of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán, and the general representative of Bizkaia, Unai Rementeria, officially opened the Global Smart Grids Innovation Hub, one of the company's strategic projects which, from Bilbao and for all international markets, will work on developing tomorrow's grids, the cornerstone of the energy transition. This public-private partnership space - which occupies more than 1,000 m2 and is housed at Iberdrola's network headquarters in Larraskitu - was created with the aim of accelerating innovation and R&D&i in the true nervous system of decarbonisation: smart grids. A hub that combines cutting-edge technology, research, training and entrepreneurship and is equipped with the latest innovations in digitalisation, artificial intelligence and advanced data analysis, among many other fields. During the opening ceremony, Iberdrola Chairman Ignacio Galán explained that "we understood before anyone else that our commitment to decarbonisation could only be successful if we digitalised the electricity grids. We have the technology, the companies and the capacity, but we need to eliminate the existing barriers to investment in networks and to create a climate of trust for investors with the same stability that exists in other countries where we operate." In this regard, Galán highlighted that half of the €150 bn in the company's investment plan to 2030 is earmarked for networks to make the ecological transition, "a factor that stimulates our industrial sector and, with it, job creation". To this end, "in the interests of achieving the green deal and to promote common progress, I hope that the current situation we are experiencing in Spain will be rechannelled. We need to address the energy price situation and the challenges of decarbonising the economy from a European perspective, with solutions in line with the EU framework and rigorous analysis. For decades, Iberdrola has been demonstrating its empathy, sensitivity and commitment to creating jobs and wellbeing for all citizens. We are aware of the opportunity we have before us and we want to continue contributing to social and economic progress in our surroundings," he added. For his part, Unai Rementeria, general representative of Bizkaia, pointed out that the Global Smartgrids Innovation Hub is an ally for the present and future of Bizkaia. "Iberdrola and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia divised this hub together. To stay at the forefront of the energy sector, innovate and attract talent. We have also set ourselves the shared goal of helping our companies through the necessary energy transition and we are committed to doing it together. After considerable work, this ambitious dream is now a reality, and the smart networks hub is now up and running. And I am certain that it will become an international benchmark". 50 industrial companies, universities and technology centres The Global Smart Grids Innovation Hub is a magnet for attracting talent and promoting new technologies that will enable the energy transition, maximising the use of renewables, the full integration of energy storage systems and optimising access to new uses of electricity, such as mobility and heating. Before the official launch, Iberdrola and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia had brought together the capabilities of 50 industrial companies, universities and technology centres, that contribute technological expertise, industrial mentality and research experience. The smart grid innovation hub is also an international collaborative project, bringing together the potential of more than 200 professionals to undertake innovation projects in countries in Europe, America and the Middle East. So far, some 120 projects worth 110 million euros have been identified. Digital solutions, business development and connected worker/secure design The areas of work will provide solutions in new materials and technologies to reduce the environmental impact of electrical infrastructures, equipment to facilitate the integration of renewable energies and boost the deployment of electric vehicles, power electronics and energy storage systems, and the digitalisation of the distribution grid supported by the latest generation of telecommunications systems, such as 5G. It will also promote solutions related to energy savings and efficiency, based on demand management or the reduction of losses from the grid. The main areas of innovation for the hub include the digitalisation of the low voltage grid network, the basis for building the smart city of the future. In this regard, the projects focus on developing the next generation of smart meters and on equipment and the grid to provide data and intelligence. Work will also be undertaken on new smart and sustainable substations to replace the current control cable 'bundles' with shared data 'buses', using solutions based on the concept of the 'internet of things'. The Global Smart Grids Innovation Hub will promote knowledge transfer through scholarships and postgraduate courses; it will serve as a catalyst for business development through startup incubation and acceleration programmes; and it will activate competitive intelligence actions, such as designing global conferences. Another focus for action will revolve around the connected worker and the robotisation of operations, making use of equipment that incorporate sensors to receive real-time information about risks. In addition, it will use ground and aerial robots (drones) to perform operations remotely, avoiding travel and delivering safe and efficient working operations. The Global Smart Grids Innovation Hub is connected to the Biscay Startup Bay strategy, which will also become a scaleup centre for energy sector start-ups installed in the Torre Bizkaia. Investments to tackle the challenges of the green economy Iberdrola has been leading the energy transition for two decades, acting as a key driving force behind the transformation of industries and the green recovery of the economy and jobs. The company has launched a major investment plan worth €150 billion over the next decade, €75 billion by 2025, to triple its renewable capacity and double network assets while taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the energy revolution that the world's leading economies are facing. Almost half of this volume of investment has been allocated to electricity grid activities, in order to give continuity to its rollout, establish a solid distribution network and make it flexible based on an ambitious digitalisation project as a key element to meet future needs for electricity. Iberdrola already operates one of the largest electricity distribution grids in the world; more than 1.2 million kilometres of electricity transmission and distribution lines and more than 4,400 substations, which carry electricity to more than 34 million people across the world. By 2025, regulated assets will reach €47 bn, mainly located in A-rated countries. By 2030, the company expects to have doubled its regulated network assets to €60 bn. READ MORE
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05/10/2021Ignacio S. Galán: “Iberdrola has been demonstrating its empathy, sensitivity and commitment to all citizens' wellbeing for decades” The chairman of Iberdrola, Ignacio S. Galán, talked about the current situation in the electricity market at an event to officially open the company's global network technology centre: "We want to achieve the objectives of the Green Deal and encourage shared progress, and I hope that the situation we are experiencing in Spain can be redirected to help everyone. We need to address the energy price situation and the challenges of decarbonising the economy from a European perspective, with solutions in line with the Union's framework and based on rigorous analysis". Galán added: "Iberdrola has been demonstrating its empathy, sensitivity and commitment to creating jobs and wellbeing for all citizens for decades. "We are aware of the opportunity we have before us and we want to continue contributing to social and economic progress in our surroundings". Iberdrola is a firm supporter of Basque industry, where it employs 15,000 people and turns over €11 bn. Regarding investment in grids, the Iberdrola chairman wants to eliminate the current legal barriers: "We were the first to understand that our commitment to decarbonisation would only succeed if we digitalised the electricity grids. We have the technology, the companies and the capacity, but we need to eliminate the existing barriers to investment in networks and to create a climate of trust for investors with the same stability that exists in other countries in our surroundings". In this regard, Galán said that half of the €150 bn in the company's investment plan to 2030 is earmarked for networks to make the ecological transition, "a factor that stimulates our industrial sector and, with it, job creation". Investments to tackle the challenges of the green economy Iberdrola has spent two decades leading the energy transition and green recovery of the economy and jobs. The company has therefore launched a historic investment plan worth €150 bn over the next decade, €75 bn by 2025, to triple its renewable capacity and double network assets READ MORE
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01/10/2021Ignacio Galán: "It is essential to preserve legal stability, so as not to undermine the European model and to maintain investor confidence" During his speech at the La Toja Forum 2021, Ignacio Galán, the chairman of Iberdrola, talked of the need to address the energy price situation and the challenges of decarbonising the economy as a European initiative, "with solutions adapted to the framework of the European Union and with accurate analysis. Galán stressed that the European Union has been at the forefront of climate action for decades and that the Fit for 55 programme, which estimates a reduction in emissions of 55% by 2030, is an ambitious, magnificent opportunity, which will mobilise investments of around 3.6 billion euros. He also remarked that "this European law must be obeyed and will only work if there is a Europe-wide response." "We must not undermine it, when others would like to imitate it", he commented. "What we cannot allow to happen is that each country keeps travelling toward the first storm in their own merry way". He also explained that since these are European challenges, the response must also be European. "All member states must launch coordinated measures to fulfil the European Union's objectives as opposed to national measures that fragment the European internal market and delay the transition", he elucidated. In this regard, he explained the superiority of the European Union principle that "he who pollutes pays", compared to national measures that have created mechanisms that mean that "he who does not pollute also pays, and more to boot". The European Union must remain vigilant Given the situation affecting Europe as a whole, the chairman of Iberdrola alluded to the measures adopted in some countries which are contrary to climate neutrality. "The European Union must remain vigilant: and member states must fulfil their commitments and respect European tools or the model will be put in doubt and investments will be made elsewhere”. He also insisted that: "It is essential to conserve legal stability and the rules of the game so as not to undermine the European model and lose investor confidence”. With regard to soaring energy prices, Galán advocates for mechanisms such as CO2 and its importance at this time to the States "to foster green energies and protect the vulnerable”. He also stressed other solutions, such as the need to purge the electricity tariff and abolish generation taxes and link electricity prices to futures indexes. A model "more valid than ever" Galán mentioned "Iberdrola's firm commitment to the green recovery", and the company's model, based on environmental sustainability as a formula for creating value for all. A model "more valid than ever", which has triggered the Group to invest more than €120bn in the last two decades in renewables, electricity grids and storage and to launch the Spanish group's most ambitious investment plan, which will allocate €75bn by 2025 and €150bn by 2030 to triple its renewable capacity to around 100,000 MW by the end of the decade and double the value of its regulated assets - smart grids. He also made references to the company's alliances with 500 companies to drive additional investment through Next Generation in the offshore wind, pumping, electric mobility and green energy segments. And the development of the value chain to which "we have issued orders to our suppliers worth €19bn to prevent job losses. What's more, with many of them we exert a great drag along effect with our activity in international markets". READ MORE
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30/09/2021Iberdrola to build 245 MW Avonlie solar farm in Australia Iberdrola Australia is to build the Avonlie solar farm, a 245 megawatt (MW) plant that will be located near the town of Narrandera in New South Wales. The project will generate around 500 gigawatt hours (GW) of electricity per year, which is equivalent to powering more than 80,000 Australian homes and avoiding more than 157,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year. Construction work will include the installation of more than 450,000 solar panels and the necessary equipment. Construction is scheduled to start early in the fourth quarter of 2021, with commissioning by the end of 2022. The project will create more than 230 full-time jobs during construction and a large number of direct and indirect jobs during its estimated 35-year operating life. “At Iberdrola Australia our strategy is to put customers at the heart of the energy transition. We are experiencing rapid growth in the number of residential and industrial customers who have long been opting for clean energy targets and 100% renewable electricity contracts,” says Ross Rolfe, CEO of Iberdrola Australia. “We invest not only in low-cost renewables - such as this Avonlie solar farm - but also through the efficient and flexible use of production capacity, ensuring the electricity system remains reliable as renewable penetration increases. This optimised portfolio makes it possible for us to offer our growing customer base long-term electricity contracts for reliable, affordable and clean supply,” explains Rolfe. As Australia's obsolete and unreliable coal-fired power stations approach retirement, the national energy market will need significant investment to replace them. Iberdrola Australia's commitment to the construction of the Avonlie solar farm is a further demonstration of the company's aim to meet the long-term needs of the market. In the past two years, Iberdrola has secured investment approval for the Avonlie solar farm in New South Wales and the 320 MW Port Augusta renewable energy farm, and has signed an agreement with TransGrid for the use of the 50 MW/75 MWh Walgrove electric battery, also in New South Wales. Together, these projects represent an investment of nearly USD 725 million (A$1 billion) and will bring nearly 600 MW of sustainable and efficient renewable energy to the Australian electricity market. READ MORE
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30/09/2021Ignacio Galán participates with the King of Spain in the opening ceremony of the La Toja Forum The chairman of Iberdrola group, Ignacio Galán, took part in the opening ceremony of the 2nd La Toja-Atlantic Link Forum, inaugurated by King Felipe VI. This event, which is being held on the island of La Toja, in Pontevedra (northeast Spain), is a meeting point for reflection and debate under the common thread of the defence of Atlantic values in all their extension and also in the international order. Throughout the forum there will be conferences and talks on issues such as economic recovery, digitalisation, the consequences of the pandemic, geostrategic balance and the situation in Afghanistan, with perspectives from both sides of the Atlantic. Some of the country's most prominent voices will take part in the debates as speakers. Among them, the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, and former presidents Mariano Rajoy and Felipe González. It will also feature personalities from the international scene such as Antonio Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal; Lauren Tubiana, CEO of European Climate; Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary General of the Ibero-American General Secretariat; and Augusto Santos Silva, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, among others. The world of business and economics will also be present with outstanding speeches, such as those of Ignacio Galán; Antonio Huertas, chairman of Mapfre; Juan Carlos Escotet, chairman of Abanca; and Pablo Hernández de Cos, Governor of the Bank of Spain. At the opening session, King Felipe VI was accompanied by the First Vice-President of the Spanish Government, Nadia Calviño, the President of the Xunta de Galicia, Alberto Núñez Feijoo, and the President of the Hotusa Group, Amancio López Sijeas. READ MORE
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29/09/2021Iberdrola completes the wind farm of its first hybrid plant in the world: Port Augusta Iberdrola has completed the installation of the last wind turbine at its first wind-solar hybrid project in the world: Port Augusta , located in the state of South Australia, comprising 50 wind turbines and 250,000 solar panels. The renewable facility combines 210 MW of wind power with 107 MW of photovoltaic power and will generate enough clean energy to supply the equivalent demand of 180,000 Australian homes per year once it comes on stream in the coming months. The project represents an investment of A$500 million. Port Augusta's renewable energy supply will help reduce consumer electricity prices and facilitate the decarbonisation of South Australia's economy. The project, which has created 200 jobs, involves global, Australian and Spanish suppliers and is contributing to the consolidation of a renewable industrial fabric in the country: * Spainsh company Elecnor is the company in charge of building the plant's substation and transmission line, as well as the storage areas and access roads; * Vestas has installed the 50 wind turbines with a unit capacity of 4.2 MW; * Longi is supplying the approximately 250,000 solar panels for the photovoltaic plant; and * Sterling&Wilson will be responsible for its construction. READ MORE
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29/09/2021Ignacio Galán, appointed Chairman of the Renewable Hydrogen Coalition The Renewable Hydrogen Coalition has strengthened its leadership with the appointment of Iberdrola group chairman and CEO Ignacio Galán as chairman of the alliance and Sunfire founder and CEO Nils Aldag as vice-chairman for the next 18 months, to help shape the necessary regulatory framework in the European Union. Galán and Aldag will combine their expertise in renewables and electrolysers to coordinate the coalition's efforts to ensure that, with the right policies, renewable hydrogen becomes a competitive alternative to conventional hydrogen during this decade. Iberdrola's CEO said that “the Renewable Hydrogen Coalition has an important job ahead of it as Europe shapes its policies to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.” “We have a unique opportunity to ensure that Europe leads the world in both technology development and manufacturing associated with renewable hydrogen,” he explained. In this sense, Galán maintains that “the targets set in the Fit for 55 package for the use of renewable hydrogen in priority sectors are extremely positive in order to increase demand.” “These ambitious targets must be accompanied by equally ambitious tools for implementation, in particular financial support instruments to close the cost gap with fossil-based alternatives and give European purchasers the confidence to switch to renewable hydrogen,” he added. Collaboration between public and private actors The Fit for 55 package, launched in July by the European Commission, has set clear targets for the rapid and large-scale deployment of renewable hydrogen in sectors that are difficult to electrify. This roadmap will enable these sectors to achieve significant emission reductions and will boost innovation, job creation and industrial growth in Europe, consolidating the post-COVID-19 green recovery . Winning the clean technology race and securing the pioneering advantage in renewable hydrogen requires strong collaboration between public and private actors. The Renewable Hydrogen Coalition stands ready to work with European policy makers to build the regulatory tools that will enable Europe to achieve its goals. READ MORE
