News
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04/10/2022Iberdrola joins Pro Bono España Foundation to provide free legal services to non-profit organisations Iberdrola takes another step forward in its commitment to society. If this summer it launched its legal pro bono programme to encourage its Group's legal professionals to provide free legal services to non-profit entities that pursue general interest purposes (legal pro bono services), it has now become the first company to form part of the Pro Bono España Foundation, which strengthens the third sector through the law as a tool for transforming and multiplying social impact. The Pro Bono España Foundation has pointed out that the incorporation of Iberdrola as the first member company "is an important milestone for pro bono in our country and paves the way for the advancement of pro bono from the business sector in Spain". The Iberdrola group's Legal Services have developed the Iberdrola 'pro bono juridico' programme, which any Iberdrola legal professional may join on a voluntary basis and carry out the activity during working hours, provided that it does not affect the performance of their work duties or their personal work-life balance. Neither the company nor the professional will receive any remuneration from the beneficiary, and the service will be of the highest quality. Iberdrola will also form part of Pro Bono España Foundation, a clearinghouse or channelling entity for the demand for pro bono legal services, which acts as an intermediary between social organisations in need of legal assistance and lawyers with the capacity to help. Since its creation in 2018, it has been working to promote pro bono practice and raise awareness among legal professionals about the social function of the legal profession. It already has a network of more than 40 law firms and multiple allied universities, to which Iberdrola has joined as the first member company. Iberdrola points out that, in line with the Group's social commitment, this initiative is part of the ethical and professional responsibility required of legal professionals and represents a further contribution by Iberdrola to the fulfilment of its sustainability commitments in accordance with ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria . It also responds to the concerns of Iberdrola's professionals, which have been heightened by the adverse social context. The objective is to promote access to justice for those most in need, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to strengthen the commitment to the global agenda through the law as a tool for transforming and multiplying social impact. READ MORE
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03/10/2022Iberdrola and EIB sign a €220 million green loan top-up to boost smart grids in Spain The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Iberdrola have agreed to increase the green loan signed in 2021 to support the development, modernisation and digitisation of the company's electricity distribution networks, a project with an impact on twelve Spanish regions. The €220 million top-up signed today brings the total EIB financing to around €820 million, allocated to strengthen smart grids in Spain and contribute to the further electrification of the economy. The project linked to the loan will improve the efficiency of the distribution network, characterised by automation and control. With this loan, Iberdrola will boost recovery of the Spanish economy and employment by safeguarding around 10,000 jobs a year in Spain during the implementation period, according to the EIB's estimates. This loan supports the EU Bank's regional cohesion and development objectives, which give priority to promoting projects in less developed regions with a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) below the EU average. In this respect, 68% of the i-DE plan contemplated in this agreement is being developed in those Spanish regions. This agreement supports the development of the smart grid investment plan being developed by i-DE, Iberdrola's distribution company in Spain, over the period 2021-2023, involving a total investment of €1.8 billion. The company will have the capacity to multiply the reliability, efficiency and security of the electricity distribution grid, all thanks to support from the EIB and Spanish government funds through the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (RRM). EIB Vice-President Ricardo Mourinho Félix said: "The top-up of this facility is all the more important at a time of energy crisis. We at the EIB know that it is vital to boost electricity grids in order to see the growth of renewable energy, which is vital for ensuring security of supply and decarbonising the EU economy. The top-up of this green loan with Iberdrola is a further step towards this objective, and it also translates into economic growth and employment in Spain". The Chairman and CEO of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán, explained that "the top-up of this green loan with the EIB will enable us to further develop Spain ́s smart grids, which are essential for facilitating the integration of renewable energy production, boosting energy efficiency and improving the distribution network and the quality of supply. This will speed up the transition to a more sustainable model, helping to provide greater energy self-sufficiency and security, which are so necessary at this critical time ". In terms of the environment and energy, this operation is in line with the EIB's Climate Roadmap and the EU's REPowerEU plan strategy. The additional resources Iberdrola will receive will facilitate the implementation of the company's strategic plan, which focuses on investment in renewable energies and networks, two of REPowerEU's priorities. The projects developed by i-DE also support the increased electrification of heating and mobility, in line with the objectives of the Spanish National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) 2021-2030. The EU Bank is carrying out this operation through a Green Loan. This is a type of financing whose characteristics fully comply with the requirements defined in the EIB's Climate Awareness Bonds (CAB) programme. The transaction is therefore eligible for allocation to its portfolio of lending operations financed through the issuance of CABs. Green finance The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investments in order to contribute towards EU policy goals. The European Investment Bank (EIB) issues long-term loans on behalf of the European Union. Iberdrola, a global leader in sustainable and green finance, has established itself as a global benchmark in sustainable finance, becoming the first group worldwide to issue green bonds, after being the first Spanish company to open this market in 2014. In 2016, the company also underwrote the first green loan for an energy company, in the amount of €500 million. At the end of June 2022, the group already had green financing or financing linked to sustainability criteria amounting to more than €43,800 million, of which more than €16,500 million correspond to green bonds. Press contacts: EIB: David Yormesor, yormesor@eib.org , tel.: +352 4379 89076, mobile: +352 621 554 578 Website: www.eib.org/press - Press: +352 4379 21000 – press@eib.org Iberdrola: Patricia Vegas, pvegas@iberdrola.es mobile: 680 630 487 Website www.iberdrola.com - Press: comunicacioncorporativa@iberdrola.es READ MORE
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30/09/2022Galán participa en el Foro La Toja-Vínculo Atlántico celebrado en España El presidente de Iberdrola, Ignacio S. Galán ha participado en el acto de apertura de la IV Edición del Foro de La Toja-Vínculo Atlántico, inaugurado por SM el Rey de España, Felipe VI. Este evento, que se celebra en la isla de La Toja, en el noreste de España, constituye un punto de encuentro para la reflexión y el debate bajo el hilo conductor de la defensa de los valores atlánticos en toda su extensión y también en el orden internacional. El evento, que se ha consolidado como un referente de la conversación pública a nivel internacional, se centra en los retos que 2022 ha planteado para el futuro. READ MORE
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29/09/2022Iberdrola starts up Spain's first smart agrovoltaic plant in Toledo Iberdrola has commissioned the first smart agrovoltaic plant in Spain at the González Byass and Grupo Emperador vineyards located in the town of Guadamur, Toledo. This innovative installation allows the layout of the modules to be adapted to the needs of the vineyards, in order to regulate the incidence of the sun and the temperature by means of the shade of the panels. This project, called Winesolar, has also involved the collaboration of the advanced technological solutions provider Techedge and the manufacturer of trackers and structures for solar panels, PVH. The installation will have trackers controlled by an artificial intelligence algorithm capable of determining the optimal position of the solar panels placed on the vines at any given moment. The degree of inclination is established according to the information collected by the sensors placed in the vineyards, which record data relating to solar radiation, soil humidity, wind conditions and the thickness of the vine trunk, among others. Thanks to this solution, the installation will help to improve the quality of the grapes, allow a more efficient use of the land, reduce the consumption of irrigation water and improve the crop's resistance to climatic conditions in the face of rising temperatures and increasingly frequent heat waves. The production of this pilot plant, with a capacity of 40 kW, will be used entirely for self-consumption by the González Byass and Grupo Emperador wineries, which will thus be able to reduce their emissions, make progress in the decarbonisation of their activity and reduce their energy costs. Coexistence of renewable generation and the primary sector This initiative is an example of the positive coexistence of renewable generation with the rural world and the primary sector thanks to agrovoltaic energy , which makes it possible to use the same area of land to obtain both solar energy and agricultural products, in such a way that farm efficiency, competitiveness and sustainability are improved. Iberdrola will monitor the results of the project over the next year, which will allow it to continue perfecting this innovative system, which it plans to replicate in other vineyards in Spain, which accounts for 13% of the world's vineyards. The Winesolar project has been carried out through the Iberdrola group's international start-up programme PERSEO , which aims to facilitate the company's access to the technologies of the future while fostering the development of a global ecosystem of start-ups in the electricity sector with a focus on sustainability. This initiative was one of the four selected from more than a hundred ideas received from 32 countries to the challenge set by the company to find new low-cost and environmentally friendly solutions to combine in a sustainable way the deployment of photovoltaic parks and primary sector activities in rural areas. Betting on an inexhaustible source of energy within everyone's reach Iberdrola has consolidated its position as the leading promoter of photovoltaic solar energy , one of the most efficient technologies in the fight against climate change. The company's commitment to the development of this renewable source will allow it to add 1,500 new solar megawatts (MW) in Spain in the coming months. Iberdrola ended the first half of the year with more than 2,200 MW of photovoltaic power installed in Spain, 800 MW more than the same period last year, representing an increase of more than 55% in the period. The new capacity has enabled the company to increase its solar production in the country by 125% up to June, to 1,067 GWh. This is an amount that would have required 184 million cubic metres of gas to be generated by a combined cycle. These figures confirm the company's firm commitment to this renewable, inexhaustible and non-polluting energy source, capable of adapting to natural cycles and weather conditions, which offers the advantage of allowing production through both commercial-scale plants and small self-consumption facilities. READ MORE
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27/09/2022Iberdrola sends crews and support staff to Nova Scotia to mitigate the effects of Fiona Iberdrola has joined the efforts to restore electricity service in Canada following the passage of Hurricane Fiona, one of the most violent hurricanes in the country's history. The company has mobilised a total of 31 teams from the United States, through its distributors in Maine and Connecticut of its subsidiary AVANGRID , along with support personnel and additional equipment. The brigades have moved to northern Canada where the most damaging effects of the hurricane have been located. Iberdrola crews are responding to Nova Scotia Power's request for help, after reporting that more than 80% of its customers were without power. Widespread power outages have also been reported in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. To deal with this emergency, Iberdrola had to mobilise additional personnel in the United States. The aim was to guarantee service to its customers in Maine and Connecticut, so that supply would not be affected by the movement of equipment across the border. Iberdrola Group Chairman Ignacio Galán has congratulated the mobilised personnel for their swift and effective action in restoring service to the affected Canadian communities, despite the harsh conditions. "The readiness of our professionals to help the people of Nova Scotia is a testament to the company's ongoing commitment to ensuring that everyone has safe and reliable service, even in times of crisis and across national borders," he said. The call for manpower to help Nova Scotians has been channelled through the North Atlantic Mutual Assistance Group (NAMAG), which is made up of utilities from across Northeast Canada and the United States that provide non-profit crisis assistance. Hurricane Fiona has caused extensive damage to trees and infrastructure. At its peak, it knocked out power to more than half a million Canadians. READ MORE
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23/09/2022Ignacio Galán: “The global energy crisis is making the case for renewables beyond climate change” The world has been talking about accelerating climate action for a very long time. With the UN General Assembly and New York Climate Week in full swing, the word “acceleration” remains prominent on the agendas in many of the meetings. So why, as UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated last week, is climate action flatlining? And what needs to be done to jolt the world into action? It is true that the energy transition is facing powerful headwinds. COVID, and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, have impacted global markets and economies like nothing else in recent times. With national finances impacted, and economic shocks affecting everyone in society, some have raised doubts about the need to speed up the energy transition. These new doubts come on top of the fact that the world’s progress toward decarbonization was already slower than necessary. 80% of the world’s energy consumption is still covered by fossil fuels, versus 20% by electricity. And even, 60% of this electricity is produced with coal, natural gas, and oil. The IEA forecasts that between 2021 and 2026 the world will see 60% more renewables come online than we did than in the previous five years. But the IEA also points out that this trend is not on track to meet its own Net Zero by 2050 Scenario. The fact that the global switch to clean energy is moving at a jogging pace rather than the required sprint should alarm us all. There are, however, real beacons of light. Until now, the unquestionably positive environmental impacts of renewable energies have overshadowed the other benefits of clean electricity: energy self-sufficiency, improvements in trade balance, and opportunities for industrial development. Last, but not least, switching to renewable electricity reduces energy costs, improving competitiveness. These benefits are finally beginning to get the attention they deserve. Significant pieces of the energy transition puzzle are already in place, and some others are coming together, driven by current geopolitical developments. Within the last two months, many big emitters–the U.S., EU, and Australia have upgraded ambitions on clean energy rollouts. Private companies are also investing at record levels to drastically scale up the delivery of clean energy projects – and there is increasing interest from investors to provide green finance. Iberdrola, already a world leader in renewable energy and power networks with 40,000 MW in operation, aims to more than double its renewable energy capacity in just a decade. Substantial barriers do remain. Local, national, and international policies and regulations are all too often not aligned. For example, it can still take more than five years to gain permits from a wide range of authorities for a large clean energy project that can be built in just 12 months. Administrative processes should not take five times longer than the process of delivering urgently needed green megawatts or reinforcing the grid to distribute them. Also, the interventionism of some countries of the European Union discourages investments, slowing down the growth of renewables and the energy transition itself. There are some obvious improvements that can be made quickly to strengthen economic, policy, and regulatory frameworks in most countries across the world to accelerate renewable energy investments. Columbia University is working on a new report that aims to give policymakers a sharper view on how to overcome obstacles to scaling renewables and network and storage infrastructures. For all the ambitious statements since Paris in 2015, there are many countries around the world where policy mistakes have been made, or where courage and a sense of urgency have faded away, to the benefit of those who would like nothing to change. But mistakes are learning opportunities–and the report aims to make clear where those opportunities lie. Policymakers In New York this week should acknowledge that the current headwinds are, in fact, the final warning sign needed to show that the energy transition must move much faster. Disruption in fossil fuel markets can cast a dark cloud over the whole world. It’s time to double down on electrification through renewables, networks, and storage. This is the answer to many of the current issues not only in decarbonization, but also in the areas of affordability, energy autonomy, and security of supply. The facts show that overdependence on fossil fuels is the cause of the climate crisis, responsible for the current and previous energy emergencies, and largely to blame for several periods of economic turmoil. We have a credible alternative ahead of us that may alleviate the climate crisis, improve energy security, and deliver widespread economic benefits. We must overcome the obstacles and mistakes that are undermining the acceleration of renewables. Electrification through renewable energies is the only way for countries to quickly have secure, safe, clean, and cheap energy. * This article originally appeared on Fortune.com READ MORE
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23/09/2022Iberdrola and Solvay team up to produce green electricity Iberdrola and Solvay are partnering in a new project to supply green electricity to Solvay's plants in Tavaux and Saint Fons (France). Under the agreement, a 172-hectare site will be used to build a photovoltaic power plant, part of whose output will be purchased by Solvay for its industrial plants through a 20-year corporate power purchase agreement. The solar installation, which will be built and operated by Iberdrola Renouvelables France, will occupy 77 hectares and will have around 100,000 photovoltaic modules. The rest of the available area will be dedicated to preservation measures to ensure the full integration of the project into its surroundings. The plant will produce almost 75 gigawatt hours per year (GWh/year), making it one of the largest in Europe. Sixty per cent of the green electricity produced will go to Solvay's industrial sites in Tavaux and Saint Fons (France). Iberdrola offers itself as a strategic partner to corporations and companies through tailor-made clean energy solutions that enable them to meet their climate targets and secure their energy supply. Given this scenario, the ETaaS (Energy Transition as a Service) concept arises, which encompasses all those energy services that will help companies reduce their carbon footprint . In this case, both the solar photovoltaic installation and the corporate PPA are part of the "Energy Transition as a Service" product portfolio. "We are delighted to partner with Iberdrola on this clean energy project that will significantly reduce the energy footprint of our Specialty Polymers and Aroma businesses in France," said Ilham Kadri, CEO of Solvay. "It is another important step in our Solvay One Planet roadmap as we continue to raise our climate ambitions and accelerate the achievement of our ultimate goal of achieving carbon neutrality ." Ignacio Galán, Chairman and CEO of Iberdrola, said: "The creation of cross-sector partnerships to carry out new clean energy projects remains an important pillar of Iberdrola's global strategy, based on electrification through renewables, grids and storage. Companies are taking a leading role in the energy transition and this major new solar project will bring significant environmental and economic benefits. We look forward to working with Solvay and are confident that our relationship will continue to grow in the coming years." The land which Solvay has earmarked for this project includes two rehabilitated settling ponds from its former soda ash plant in the communes of Herbitzheim-Willerwald-Sarralbe in the departments of Bas-Rhin and Moselle in the Grand Est region of France. The fact that this scheme gives a second industrial life to brownfield sites for the generation of renewable energy is also important, as it accelerates the ecological transformation of the economy. The project will also contribute positively to the development of the local economy and boost employment in the area, as the industrial supplies for the construction will include a significant local component. Local jobs will be created during the construction and operation phases. The plant is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2025. READ MORE
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22/09/2022Iberdrola and Foresa advance in their alliance to lead green methanol production in Spain Iberdrola and Foresa take a step forward to lead the production of green methanol in Spain. Both companies, in their commitment to promote a sustainable energy transition , have joined forces to act as a key agent in the transformation of the industrial fabric of our country. To this end, they are promoting renewable methanol projects, which will be the first step in a profound decarbonisation process in Galicia based on the replacement of grey methanol with renewable methanol. The first of the projects they are working on is Green UMIA, a project located in the town of Caldas de Reis (Pontevedra) that will reduce 58,000 tons of CO2 during its first 10 years of operation, as a result of the production of 2,900 tn/year of renewable methanol per year, which will be used by Foresa itself to incorporate them into a wide variety of industries. The Green UMIA project will involve an investment of over €40 million and will generate up to 900 total jobs (direct, indirect and induced) during the construction phase and 265 jobs (direct, indirect and induced) during the operation phase. In addition, this project reinforces the decarbonisation and sustainability of the strategic wood value chain in Galicia. Green UMIA has already been submitted to the IDAE's aid programme for Pioneering and Singular Renewable Hydrogen projects and proposes a pioneering solution to integrate the production and industrial use of green hydrogen in the same location, which together with the carbon dioxide captured from a biomass source, will be used to synthesise renewable methanol. For methanol to be considered green, the energy supply necessary for the production of green hydrogen must come from newly constructed renewable generation sources. For this purpose, an energy supply agreement will be established from the Castro Valente wind farm located 12 km from the future methanol plant. The wind farm is located in the municipalities of Padrón (A Coruña) and A Estrada (Pontevedra), and consists of the installation of 3 wind turbines of 6 MW each, with a total power of 18 MW. The construction of this wind farm will involve an investment of approximately 14 million euros and the generation of around 70 jobs (direct, indirect and induced) during the construction phase and around 5 jobs (direct, indirect and induced) during the operation phase. Iberdrola, in its firm commitment to socioeconomic development and biodiversity conservation in its decarbonisation strategy, maintains a programme of continuous improvement of initiatives and alliances to promote measures that integrate the territory, the landscape, and local communities, demonstrating that it is possible to balance the environment while contributing to social and economic development. Priority Business Initiative The green methanol plant and the new renewable facility for electricity supply (Green UMIA) will have priority in the completion of procedures, having been declared a Priority Business Initiative (IEP) by the Regional Government of Galicia, which will allow its commercial operation in July 2025. The chemical industries in Galicia alone consume more than 130,000 tonnes of grey methanol per year and in Spain more than 600,000 tonnes of grey methanol per year, mainly from countries outside the European Union. Imports from these countries have a large amount of CO2 emissions associated with their production and transport. The partnership between Iberdrola and Foresa has been designed with the dual objective of reducing these polluting emissions and strengthening the European Union's autonomy by replacing a supply of methanol produced from natural gas with green methanol produced from local renewable energy. Furthermore, due to the significant support it would provide to the development of the hydrogen value chain, its innovative nature and its technological significance, this alliance will contribute to the diversification and long-term development of the Galician industry. The investment initiative to decarbonise methanol and tackle its production on an industrial scale will strengthen our country's position as a technological benchmark in green hydrogen and green methanol, attracting new investments, making this alliance an opportunity for Galicia, Spain and Europe. READ MORE
