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21/02/2022The Chairman of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán, joins in the celebration of the 10th anniversary of Torre Iberdrola Bilbao On 21 February 2012, Torre Iberdrola Bilbao was officially inaugurated. Designed by César Pelli, a decade later, Torre Iberdrola is one of the most emblematic buildings in the Basque Country and a consolidated headquarters for fifty renowned companies. Among them, it is the headquarters of the energy company Iberdrola. The Chairman of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán, has joined in this anniversary and has highlighted that "This modern, state-of-the-art building, which houses our global decision-making centre, has also become a symbol of Iberdrola's anchorage to this land and an emblem of this city". "The strength of the Basque Country in the world is projected, to a certain extent, from this headquarters and its greatness is an expression of Iberdrola's global leadership, but, above all, of our great commitment to the creation of progress, wealth and well-being in the environment. Thousands of Basque companies that have been with us for many decades can testify to this", added Galán. For his part, the chairman of Kutxabank, Gregorio Villalabeitia, underlined "the major investment effort involved in the construction of the Tower, which has become the city's business hub, a kind of 'hub' that houses the leading firms operating in Bilbao, especially those in the financial sphere. As a result, the building has strengthened Bilbao's position as a financial centre within the economic ecosystem, which is of great importance". A decade of success Torre Iberdrola Bilbao, 68.2% owned by Iberdrola ¬and 31.8% by Kutxabank, was ¬officially¬ opened ¬on 21 February 2012. However, ¬Iberdrola installed the group's headquarters on the eight ¬upper¬ floors ¬of the building, and companies from the Kutxabank group moved into 3 floors, along with the first tenants, in September 2011. Just one year after its inauguration in 2013, the building received the prestigious LEED CS Platinum certification, which recognises the most environmentally friendly, healthiest, environmentally responsible and cost-effective structures. It thus becomes the first building nationwide to obtain this prestigious certification. A building with this certification has implemented differential efficiency and wellbeing measures in fundamental aspects such as air renewal, air conditioning, lighting, accesses... which, in recent years, have become a strategic priority for companies, and determining aspects in the choice of workspaces. With a focus on reducing environmental impact, ¬sustainability, certified at Torre Iberdrola, leads to improved productivity, protection and health of users. In ¬addition to environmentally friendly transport services, such as parking spaces for bicycles and electric vehicles with recharging points that are complemented by a fast connection to the public transport network. Torre Iberdrola in figures Designed by the Argentinian architect César Pelli, it took five years to build. The structure was erected in 51 weeks, using 8,500 tonnes of steel and 60,000 tonnes of concrete. With a height of 165 metres distributed over 41 floors, it is the tallest building in the Basque Country and the 9th tallest building in Spain. A prism whose vertices symbolically meet at a height of 1,000 metres. Its 50,000 m2 of office space make it the largest office building in the Basque Country. Its spectacular façade of 20,000 m2, equivalent to 2 football pitches, is made up of some 5,000 glass panels. It takes 8 months to clean the entire façade. The building is served by 22 lifts and 4 freight lifts that move at a speed of 6 metres per second. In its 10 years of history, more than 3 million trips have been made. Around 2,000 people work in Torre Iberdrola and until March 2019 (start of the pandemic) it has received up to 3,451 visits per month. Torre Iberdrola also stands out for being a building with a saving of up to 20% in energy consumption and 100% outdoor air renewal. An economic activation centre The spectacular nature of Torre Iberdrola goes beyond its stylised presence in the Bilbao skyline, or its impressive hall, the largest in a national business centre. Innovation, technology, services and security make Torre Iberdrola the office equivalent of a five-star hotel. Card reader access, buttonless lifts, digital solutions for booking meeting rooms and parking spaces, face-to-face and virtual events, a wide variety of corporate services and services designed for work-life balance... Advantages enjoyed by 49 companies, 2,000 employees a day and up to 2,500 visitors a month. READ MORE
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21/02/2022Iberdrola group launches International Graduate Programme to recruit and train young talent Iberdrola (ScottishPower / AVANGRID) has launched its International Graduate Programme with the aim of attracting and incorporating young talent to support its ambitious international growth plan. The initiative is aimed at recent graduates or people with less than two years of experience. Those selected to join the company will be offered a two-year training plan that includes rotations in different business areas of the group and at least a six-month international assignment at the group's headquarters across the world. In 2022, the company is offering 164 positions mainly related to engineering, big data, data analytics, cybersecurity, business administration and management, legal and finance. The International Graduate Programme aims to strengthen the company’s talent profile to deliver on its ambitious strategy. Iberdrola is investing around €150 billion globally to 2030 to triple its renewable energy capacity and double its networks assets. With an anticipated shortage of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) professionals expected in the coming years, Iberdrola will supplement its support for schools, colleges and universities with its own in-house training programme to develop future leaders. In this decade, the demand for profiles in these disciplines is expected to increase by up to 14% in Europe and 24% in the United States. For the selection of candidates, in addition to academic records and language skills, Iberdrola will also be considering other factors, such as willingness to work in different countries and readiness to embrace multi-disciplinary learning. The deadline for submitting applications begins today (date). Interested parties can find more details and complete an application on the Iberdrola group's talent site: www.iberdrola.com/talent/international-graduate-program The creation of quality employment is a strategic pillar of the company's strategy. The group plans to hire nearly 20,000 new recruits by 2025. In the last year alone, the company has hired more than 5,600 people, 36% of the total were younger than 30. READ MORE
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17/02/2022The Reskilling for Employment programme, co-led by Iberdrola, to provide vocational training for 5 million people in the EU, gets under way Rapid digital transformation and skills obsolescence have led to a professional gap, which puts some professions in Europe at risk. In this context, Iberdrola, together with other companies such as AstraZeneca, Iberdrola, Nestlé, SAP, Sonae, Telefónica and Volvo Group are co-leading the European programme Reskilling for Employment (R4E), which today launches its website with the aim of promoting training and the search for structural solutions to unemployment on the continent. Ignacio Galán, Chairman of Iberdrola, a member of ERT and one of the main promoters of the initiative, stressed that "in less than 30 years we must move from a world still highly dependent on fossil fuels to zero net emissions. The next decade will be decisive to achieve this, and innovation and talent, two fundamental values in our company, will be necessary. In the next two years alone, Iberdrola will train 15,000 people through our green jobs retraining programmes, creating high quality jobs to achieve a cleaner and smarter energy system. We invite all organisations and companies to join this initiative, thus contributing to the transformation that will improve efficiency, create jobs and, ultimately, make this planet a better place to live". Promoted by the European Roundtable of Industry (ERT), the R4E programme is already up and running in Portugal, Spain and Sweden and is being prepared for launch in other EU countries with additional companies, recycling providers, innovative start-ups and recruitment agencies. This pan-European training initiative - announced at the Porto Social Summit in May 2021 - has been created to promote collaboration and partnership between training providers, companies and jobseekers with the aim of addressing skills shortages in emerging sectors, at a time when the employment landscape in Europe is undergoing significant change. Boosting well-being beyond 2025 McKinsey & Company, a key partner in the R4E initiative, estimates that approximately 20 million people will need to reskill for new occupations as their current jobs disappear through automation and new types of occupations emerge in the coming years. The R4E initiative ultimately aims to upgrade skills and secure new jobs for 5 million people by 2030. This initiative offers a training ecosystem for adults, where candidates are introduced to training and employment opportunities and subsequently receive training, guidance and access to a future-ready job. The process requires targeted training programmes, candidate orientation and well-connected local employment ecosystems where training providers and companies can quickly connect candidates with vacancies. The R4E initiative, which is tailored to the specific needs and contexts of individual countries, has a comprehensive model and operates through four mechanisms: 1. Technological training for retraining, including a common platform and recommendations driven by artificial intelligence; 2. A network of selected high quality training providers and job placement companies; 3. The creation of employment ecosystems in cities to match labour supply and demand; 4. Design of funding systems to align incentives for training providers, companies and candidates. Paulo Azevedo, Chair of the ERT's Employment, Skills and Impact Committee said: "We are pleased to announce the official launch of the R4E website. The aim of R4E is simple: to help people retrain for more in-demand jobs, thus improving their quality of life. The R4E websites are at the heart of our collaborative and comprehensive approach to tackling the urgent need for new skills in Europe". For more information, see the note sent by the ERT. https://ert.eu/documents/r4ewebsitelaunch/ READ MORE
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16/02/2022Iberdrola inaugurates the largest ultra-fast charging hub for electric vehicles in southern Europe Iberdrola has inaugurated the largest ultra-fast charging hub for electric vehicles that currently exists in southern Europe. Located in a strategic location on the A-70 motorway, in the municipality of Elche, the facility consists of two charging stations -one in each direction of the motorway- and will have a total nominal power of four megawatts. The infrastructure, carried out in cooperation with Porsche, comprises a total of four 400 kW chargers and 12 200 kW chargers, which can charge up to 16 vehicles simultaneously and recharge an electric car battery in less than five minutes. The presentation ceremony was attended by the Councillor for Territorial Policy, Public Works and Mobility, Arcadi España; the Mayor of Elche, Carlos González; the General Manager of Porsche Ibérica, Tomás Villén; and the Global Director of Smart Mobility at Iberdrola, Raquel Blanco, who explained how the installation works and presented Iberdrola's electric vehicle charging network, the most powerful in Spain. According to Raquel Blanco, "Iberdrola is making a significant investment in this type of infrastructure to provide coverage for intercity journeys for electric vehicle users. These are innovative facilities, suitable for any type of electric car, which allow batteries to be charged in very short times and which, together with the network of charging points that the company has in operation in the rest of Spain, represent a definitive commitment to the decarbonisation of mobility in our country". Ultra-fast recharging stations development plan Iberdrola, a world leader in renewable energies, has partnered with Porsche, a leader in technology and innovation, to install a total of 35 ultra-fast charging stations in Spain with the most powerful chargers on the market. This collaboration also includes the installation of 15 innovative charging points at strategic nodes, with more than 300 kW of power per unit, associated with battery storage systems that increase the efficiency of the facilities. In addition to this alliance, the company continues with its electric mobility expansion plan, which will allow it to install ultra-fast charging stations in strategic areas throughout the country in the coming years, as well as continuing with the deployment of lower power facilities. These ultra-fast charging hubs join Iberdrola's network of charging infrastructure, which already has more than 2,500 public charging points in operation nationwide. Raquel Blanco stressed that these types of infrastructures "are pioneers in our country and anticipate the future of electric vehicles. They are committed to innovation and the latest technology, with ultra-fast charging chargers and very high power (400 kW) that make a unique charging experience possible due to their speed and simplicity". It should be noted that users of these facilities will recharge the battery of their electric cars with 100% green energy, from renewable generation sources with a guarantee of origin certificate (GdOs) and the charging points will be located on the Iberdrola Public Charging App. This is the only application in Spain that includes verified information on all electric vehicle chargers, both those of Iberdrola and those of other operators, from which you can geolocate the charger, check its operation in real time and book and pay from your mobile phone. Electric mobility and green recovery The electricity company is rolling out a sustainable mobility plan , with an investment of 150 million euros, with which it will intensify the deployment of charging points for electric vehicles in the coming years. The initiative envisages the installation of around 150,000 charging points, both in homes and businesses, as well as on urban roads, in cities and on the main motorways in the coming years. The commitment to the deployment of high-efficiency stations will take the form of ultra-fast (over 350 kW), super-fast (over 150 kW) and fast (50 kW) stations. Iberdrola is aware of the need to promote electromobility in Spain through coordinated and effective action with the main agents involved. In this regard, the company has already completed more than 50 infrastructure deployment agreements with administrations, institutions, companies, service stations, dealers and electric vehicle manufacturers. The company was the first Spanish company to sign up to The Climate Group's EV100 initiative, with the aim of accelerating the transition to electric vehicles, committing to electrify its entire fleet of vehicles and facilitate charging for staff in its businesses in Spain and the UK by 2030. READ MORE
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16/02/2022Iberdrola to invest more than 10 billion dollars in Massachusetts Iberdrola continues to strengthen its global leadership in the offshore wind sector, this time in Massachusetts. The group will invest more than US$ 10 billion in the development of three offshore wind complexes. Iberdrola's Chairman, Ignacio Galán, presented this investment in a meeting held today with the Governor of Massachusetts, Charlie Baker, in which he also explained the group's growth plan in the United States for the period 2020-2025, which will enable it to double its renewable generation capacity and boost the country's decarbonisation. "Our projects in Massachusetts will be fundamental to achieving the US goal of reaching 30,000 MW of wind energy by 2030, and with them we will generate industrial development and employment", explained Ignacio Galán. Ignacio Galán also met with Maura Healey, Attorney General of the State of Massachusetts, to whom he also conveyed Iberdrola's commitment to investment in clean energy in the state. Pioneer in offshore wind In Massachusetts, Iberdrola is developing 2,800 MW of offshore wind in three different projects and is developing an interconnection line with a capacity of 1,200 MW to transport hydroelectric power from Canada. Together, Iberdrola's projects will meet 35% of the state's electricity demand with clean and competitive energy, while helping to create around 4,000 jobs during construction over the next few years. Construction recently began on Vineyard Wind One , the country's first large offshore wind farm. The 800 MW project, located about 15 miles south off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, will generate enough wind power to meet the demand of more than 400,000 homes. In addition, its commissioning will also prevent the emission of more than 1.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, the equivalent of taking 325,000 vehicles off the road. Avangrid was also awarded a contract for the Commonwealth Wind offshore wind farm in Massachusetts in December. The 1,232 MW project, New England's largest offshore wind project to date, will involve a $4 billion investment and create 11,000 jobs. As part of the project, Iberdrola is promoting the installation of a submarine cable factory in the state on the site of a former coal-fired power plant. Also under development in the same area is Park City Wind, an 804 MW project that will supply clean energy to customers in Connecticut, while revitalising the Port of Bridgeport, home to the operation and maintenance office and warehouse for the components for construction. The project is expected to be completed in 2027. The company also owns the Kitty Hawk development area (2,500 MW) in the waters off North Carolina and Virginia and has begun the permitting process with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for the Kitty Hawk North wind farm (800 MW), the first project planned in this area. Iberdrola: leading energy company in the United States Iberdrola's history in the United States is a story of growth. In less than two decades, the company chaired by Ignacio Galán has not only managed to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, but also to position itself as one of the largest electricity groups in the country with assets of 40 billion dollars and a presence in 25 states. This is due to the significant commitment it made 17 years ago to clean energy in the country, where it has already installed close to 10,000 MW of renewable energy, serving a population of almost 10 million people through 8 distribution companies in the states of New York, Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts, which own a network of 170,000 kilometres. READ MORE
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15/02/2022Iberdrola takes a stake in the Spanish company Aquí tu Reforma to redouble its commitment to energy efficiency and innovation Iberdrola is making progress in its commitment to innovation and energy efficiency, this time through its entry into the capital of 'Aquí tu Reforma', with an investment of one million euros. The startup is focused on the digitalisation of home and building renovations and refurbishments. The investment was made through the International Start-Ups-PERSEO Programme , through which Iberdrola has been identifying and promoting innovative solutions to improve the sustainability of the energy sector for more than a decade. Iberdrola's participation in 'Aquí tu Reforma' will boost collaboration between the two companies to promote the adoption of new technologies in line with efficiency, energy saving, decarbonisation and electrification of the economy. The home renovation sector is an important entry channel for the deployment of new solutions to optimise energy use. In this context, the aim of this union is to offer efficient renewable air conditioning solutions (aerothermia), as well as thermal insulation, efficient windows, lighting, self-consumption or electric vehicle charging, among others, for which both companies will combine their capabilities and experience. Aquí tu Reforma has more than 130 renovation companies operating under its brand in Spain and has agreements with large multinationals in the home, renovation materials and banking institutions. Its business is focused on the refurbishment and renovation of homes and buildings, with a consolidated model of brand licences that has a powerful digital platform, which allows the comprehensive management of the refurbishment process for its licensees: from the supply and purchase of materials to the financing of the end customer, including the management of the works or the refurbishment business itself. In addition, the platform allows the client to be involved in the entire process. Iberdrola's Global Head of Smart Solutions, Luis Buil, highlights among the reasons for joining Aquí tu Reforma "its innovative nature, with an approach based on the digitisation of an atomised sector that will play a key role in terms of energy efficiency. We will work together to promote the installation of technologies and new energy efficiency and electrification measures in a sector that has a key role in green recovery plans and Next Generation EU funds". For Francisco Morán - CEO & Cofounder of Aquí tu Reforma " Iberdrola’s acquisition of a stake in the capital reinforces our leadership in the sector and our company's commitment to improving the health, well-being and habitability of homes through energy efficiency and sustainability. Our commitment to technology manages to professionalise the sector and empower the end customer, offering innovative solutions to the market". Iberdrola, with energy start-ups The Iberdrola PERSEO international start-up programme aims to facilitate the group's access to the technologies of the future and foster the creation and development of a global and dynamic ecosystem of technology companies and entrepreneurs in the electricity sector. Since its creation in 2008, PERSEO has invested more than 85 million euros in start-ups that develop innovative technologies and business models, focusing on those that improve the sustainability of the energy sector through further electrification and decarbonisation of the economy. READ MORE
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14/02/2022Iberdrola strengthens its leadership by increasing renewable capacity by 9.2% worldwide in 2021 The Iberdrola group has increased its renewable capacity by 9.2% in 2021 , to over 38,000 MW 'green' - specifically 38.035 MW. The company has commissioned 3.484 MW of new renewables, in line with its strategy based on a decarbonised and competitive economy, as reported today by the company to the Spanish National Securities Market Commission (CNMV). The group strengthens its global leadership in wind energy, with a 4,9% increase in onshore wind capacity to 19.376 MW. Offshore wind , meanwhile, reached 1,258 MW installed. Hydropower increased by 7.7% with 985 MW of new capacity, reaching 13.849 MW in the period. Iberdrola's photovoltaic capacity also grew strongly in the period, increasing by 63% - with 1,182 MW of new installed capacity - and exceeding 3.000 MW at the end of the year 2021. Battery storage systems have an installed capacity of 193 MW. The Iberian Peninsula is the region where the company has increased its renewable capacity the most, with 1,800 MW of new renewables - 56% of the total installed capacity in 2021 - to reach 19.210 MW green, mainly driven by the Tâmega complex project - where it has started up the first group of the Gouvães hydroelectric plant - and the development of 986 MW of new photovoltaic capacity, especially with the incorporation of the Francisco Pizarro photovoltaic plant with 516 MW and Arenales, with 150 MW. Iberdrola's renewable capacity has also improved in all the countries where the company operates: United Kingdom (+5%), United States (+%4,1), Brazil (+31.2%), Mexico (+1%), and the rest of the world, whose renewable capacity has grown by 26%. Investments in clean energy have also boosted the company's clean energy production, which grew by 8.7% to 73,719 green GWh. In total, the company's production has increased by 4.8% to 129.331 GWh. CO2 emissions continue to fall In line with its commitment to a long-term environmentally and economically sustainable model, Iberdrola continues with its commitment to reduce its polluting emissions. At the end of 2021, 81% of the group's installed capacity at global level was emission-free (compared to 79% the previous year) and 75% of its global production in 2021 was emission-free (in Europe this figure already exceeds 87%). Iberdrola thus continues to make progress in its intention to reduce its emissions intensity to be carbon neutral by 2050. These objectives are aligned with the group's commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 agenda. The company is focusing its efforts on two of them: point 7 - affordable and clean energy - and point 13 - climate action. READ MORE
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11/02/2022Iberdrola, committed to the insertion of women in scientific careers Iberdrola is committed to promoting the presence of women in careers related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). For this reason, the electricity company is developing initiatives in this regard in all countries in which it has a presence. The aim is to advance towards real equality of opportunity. With these projects and plans, it aims to be a benchmark for girls who will be scientists, engineers and researchers in the future. The company believes that training in professions historically held by men is essential for women to be able to work wherever they wish. The idea is that over time they will occupy positions of responsibility which, until now, have been occupied mainly by men. Currently, less than 20% of digital professional profiles are women. Figures from the PISA report show that, in Spain, while more than half of university students are women, less than 8% choose STEM-related degrees. A higher level of studies leads to a higher probability of getting a job and, in all cases, the female employment rate is lower than the male rate. In all STEM vocational studies, the proportion of men is higher than that of women. Iberdrola develops training programmes, forums, and educational initiatives in Spain, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, and the United Kingdom. In this way, we inspire other companies and our value chain to perceive the challenges faced by women in the fields of science and technology and to undertake similar initiatives. Through its Foundation in Spain, together with the Madrid Municipal Transport Company (EMT) and the Comillas Pontifical University, the STEM Women Chair in Sustainability and Mobility was launched. The company seeks to promote women in STEM vocations in the field of Vocational Training for sustainable mobility, where the female presence does not exceed 3.6%. In the United States, through its foundation, Iberdrola supports the training of electricians through scholarships in the CMP Lineworker Technology Programme to train specialists, prioritising the inclusion of young women in the energy sector. In 2018, it formed WomENergy, a business resource group (BRG) aimed at attracting, retaining, developing and promoting the advancement of female talent. AVANGRID also sponsors Eureka! , a five-year educational programme for girls from low-income and minority families and those who would be the first college students in their families - in partnership with Girls Inc. a programme for young women interested in STEM careers. The ultimate goal is to engage 100 girls, 20 in each grade through their senior year of high school. In Mexico, the Impulso STEM programme, developed by Iberdrola Mexico together with the Institute of Renewable Energies (IER) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the Technological University of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca (UTVCO), seeks to promote the study of engineering among Oaxacan youth, especially women. In Brazil, Neoenergía has made a strong commitment in recent years: to promote the inclusion of young women in traditionally male sectors. For example, The School of Electricians, which in August 2019 saw the light of day, with the aim of encouraging female insertion in this field; or the major agreement where the Brazilian subsidiary became the first company to exclusively support the women's football team in Brazil. The agreement is valid until 2025 and provides support for the national club competition, which is now called Brasileirão Femenino Neoenergia. The UK subsidiary ScottishPower, for its part, is a member of POWERful Women, an initiative to advance gender diversity within the country's energy sector. It also collaborates with the University of Forth Valley College in the design of an online programme that provides schools with worksheets, explanatory videos, creative activities and other useful training resources so that students can receive the best preparation in STEM. More than 50 schools in Scotland are boosting STEM education through this programme. The whole of society, from administrations to civil society and business, is committed to the Sustainable Development Goals set out in the 2030 Agenda. READ MORE
