Press releases
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01/09/2023Iberdrola strengthens its leadership in offshore wind with the advance of Saint-Brieuc and Baltic Eagle Iberdrola is reaffirming its leadership in offshore wind with major advances in Saint-Brieuc (France) and Baltic Eagle (Germany). Iberdrola's Chairman, Ignacio Galán, has recognized the work of employees at the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm, the first large-scale offshore wind project in Brittany and the second in France to produce clean energy, and at the Baltic Eagle farm in the Baltic Sea. Despite the problems of building it in the middle of the COVID pandemic, the Saint Brieuc project will be completed on schedule, with the installation work being completed this year. Fifty-one of the 62 jackets and 35 of the 62 turbines have already been installed. In addition, after the test phase, the first wind turbines began supplying clean electricity on 5 July. With an investment of 2.4 billion euros, Saint Brieuc has a total capacity of 496 megawatts (MW) distributed among 62 turbines of 8 MW each. When fully operational, Saint-Brieuc will produce 1,820 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year, enough to cover the energy needs of 835,000 people (including heating), which is equivalent to a population larger than the city of Valencia or almost as large as that of Marseille. The Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm, located in the Baltic Sea, has a capacity of 476 MW. Baltic Eagle will have 50 wind turbines of 9.53 MW of unit power on monopiles, for an annual production of 1.9 TWh, enough to sustainably meet the demand of 475,000 households and prevent the emission of 800,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. The manufacturing of the components of this wind farm is almost complete, and some have even been completed ahead of schedule thanks to the work of a multidisciplinary team. This wind farm, which is scheduled to come into operation at the end of 2024, has a minimum regulated tariff of 64.6 €/MWh for the first 20 years. In addition, it has already sold 100% of its production under long-term contracts. Leader in offshore wind Iberdrola has 3,000 MW of offshore wind projects under construction or secured, with zero costs on the seabed thanks to the group's pioneering position. The company is helping to support the energy transition and the creation of jobs in the supply chain around the world. In addition to Saint Brieuc, the Vineyard Wind offshore wind project in the United States is scheduled to come online in the last quarter of 2023. The Baltic Eagle wind farm in Germany will be operational in 2024, and East Anglia 3 in the UK and Windanker in Germany will start production in 2026. These projects will add to the current portfolio of 1,258 MW of operational offshore wind projects, including West of Duddon Sands in the Irish Sea, Wikinger in the German Baltic Sea and East Anglia One in the southern North Sea. READ MORE
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28/08/2023Iberdrola Mexico joins Pride Connection to boost LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace Iberdrola Mexico signed a decalogue with the organisation Pride Connection to promote the inclusion of LGBT+ people in the workplace and to eradicate discrimination in the workplace, in an initiative in collaboration with the Council to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination of Mexico City (COPRED). "With this union we underpin our commitment to LGBT+ people and allies and link with experts in human rights for the creation of community-focused policies to attract the best talent," said Iberdrola Mexico's Director of Planning and Sustainability, Katya Somohano, during an event at COPRED's headquarters in the country's capital. The decalogue of commitments includes, among other points, the promotion and respect for human rights and the creation of safe spaces for the LGBT+ community; the implementation of awareness-raising, education and training workshops; support for leaders and affinity groups; the approach to public bodies or the establishment of mechanisms to receive complaints or petitions. The measures also include the promotion of the recruitment of LGBT+ talent; the establishment of indicators to measure continuous improvement in labour inclusion issues or the design, support and participation in at least three activities to promote the human rights of the community, among other points. In addition to Iberdrola Mexico, some twenty Pride Connection allied companies such as Jugos del Valle, Smurfit Kappa Mexico, Havas, DuPont, Manpower, Honeywell, ECOLAB, Zurich Mexico and Organon, among others, signed this Decalogue. "This signing of commitments by major companies makes visible the willingness of companies from many different sectors to be inclusive, aware that diverse talent is key to generating value," said Alberto Arriaga, CEO of Pride Connection, a network of more than 300 companies working to develop safe and discrimination-free work environments for the LGBT+ community. DEI GOALS Iberdrola Mexico has been promoting an ambitious diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programme since 2022, with the aim of promoting a fairer society and workplace that promotes inclusive talent and the well-being of the entire workforce. After complying with an initial set of commitments in this area, last July the energy company announced new goals for 2025, including the development of an accessibility and inclusion plan for people with disabilities, the incorporation of recruitment procedures with a diversity perspective and the implementation of a diagnosis of pay equity. In addition, the new decalogue foresees the creation of three affinity groups and the design of a skills development programme for female employees and the implementation of spaces 100% free of violence and discrimination. READ MORE
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25/08/2023Avangrid develops Artificial Intelligence to maintain maximum grid quality Iberdrola, through its US subsidiary Avangrid, has launched a Data Science and Analytics team to develop unique and proprietary Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems that will focus on improving the reliability of its grid and maintaining the highest quality standards for its customers. Once completed, these machine learning models will change the way the company approaches network investments, equipment upgrades, storm forecasting, among other issues. Avangrid's new Data Science and Analytics analytics team consists of seven data scientists, engineers and analysts who come from prestigious industries such as healthcare, astrophysics and finance. The team is creating three unique AI systems: Predictive Health Analytics, GeoMesh and HealthAI. Each technology will take existing data from Avangrid's companies' electricity grids and analyse it to forecast future grid performance, determine the condition of grid equipment and select at-risk locations for inspections and investments. Ultimately, this will lead to improved quality of service for the 2.31 million electricity customers served by Avangrid's subsidiaries, Central Maine Power, New York State Electric & Gas, Rochester Gas and Electric and United Illuminating. This project takes a proactive approach to determining the condition of substation equipment and uses data to prioritise planned replacements and upgrades. Traditionally, equipment is replaced primarily based on its age or if it malfunctions and causes an outage. Instead, the aim is for Predictive Health Analytics to take a proactive, data-driven approach to determine the condition of equipment based on numerous factors, including age, frequency of use, manufacturer and maintenance notifications. This means Avangrid will save money and help reduce outages for customers by replacing at-risk equipment before it causes an outage. "We are reinventing what is possible for a utility when it comes to data science and analytics," says Pedro Azagra, CEO of Avangrid. "Traditionally, we have partnered with third parties to integrate this type of technology into our business. We now have the in-house talent to create machine learning models that will be Avangrid's and, as a member of the Iberdrola Group, we are also collaborating with our global colleagues to draw on their experience and expertise. Owning these AI systems will allow us to continuously improve them while reducing costs and increasing efficiency." US energy leader In less than two decades, Iberdrola has become one of the largest groups in the North American electricity sector, listed since 2015 on the New York Stock Exchange. Headquartered in Orange, Connecticut, and with approximately $40 billion in assets, the firm is present in 24 states and manages close to 10,000 MW of installed capacity, of which more than 8,600 MW of renewables (mainly wind and solar PV), and more than 130,000 kilometres of power lines through eight distributors in New York, Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts. The company serves a population of 10 million people in the United States. Iberdrola has a portfolio of high-quality renewable projects in the United States of more than 25,000 MW, representing a stable platform for continued growth over the next several years as the country meets its decarbonisation goals. Avangrid continues to make significant progress in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) areas. This month, for the sixth year in a row, Avangrid repeated in the FTSE4Good index. READ MORE
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23/08/2023Construction of a photovoltaic plant starts in Texas to supply power to Facebook Iberdrola's US subsidiary Avangrid has begun construction of the 240 MW True North photovoltaic plant in Falls County (Texas). It will supply clean, renewable energy to power the operations of Meta, the parent company of the social network Facebook, in the region. Since 2020, Meta's global operations have been supported by 100% renewable energy. The True North project will support Meta's upcoming data centre in Temple City, its second data centre facility in Texas. True North, Avangrid's first solar farm in Texas, is expected to reach commercial operation in early 2025. During construction and operation, True North will create more than 200 jobs and is expected to pay more than $40 million in property taxes over 25 years in the state, where the company already operates more than 1,250 MW of onshore wind facilities . "We are very pleased to announce this milestone, which reflects our unwavering commitment to advancing the clean energy transition and building a more sustainable future for all," said Pedro Azagra, CEO of Avangrid. "With projects like True North, we continue our mission to help the country meet its ambitious energy goals, while creating quality jobs and strengthening our local economies. US energy leader In less than two decades, Iberdrola has become one of the largest groups in the North American electricity sector , listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2015. Headquartered in Orange, Connecticut, and with approximately $40 billion in assets, the firm has a presence in 24 states and manages nearly 10,000 MW of installed capacity, including more than 8,600 MW of renewables (primarily wind and solar PV), and more than 130,000 kilometres of power lines through eight distributors in New York, Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts. The company serves a population of 10 million people in the United States. Iberdrola has a portfolio of more than 25,000 MW of high-quality renewable projects in the United States, representing a stable platform for continued growth over the coming years as the country meets its decarbonisation targets. Avangrid continues to make significant progress in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) areas. This month, for the sixth year in a row, Avangrid repeated in the FTSE4Good index . READ MORE
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21/08/2023Ignacio Galán: "We were sure they would bring the World Cup to Spain" The Executive Chairman of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán, met today in Bilbao with the full management team of the company in their traditional first meeting after the summer. As is tradition, and coinciding with Bilbao's Semana Grande, Iberdrola returns to its regular work after a few days' holiday. The Executive Chairman of the Spanish multinational, Ignacio Galán, congratulated the people of Bilbao on their festivities, and wanted to join in the festive atmosphere in the Biscayan capital, along with the rest of the management team. He also took the opportunity to send a message of congratulations to the Women's National Football Team, following their success and achievement at the World Cup in Australia: "In 2016, right here in Bilbao, when we decided to sponsor the team, we told them that, just as the Men's National Football Team had won the World Cup, we were sure that they would also bring the World Cup to our country". Ignacio Galán said that "We are proud to have this Women's National Football Team as representatives of Spain", and wanted to send a message of condolence to the player, Olga Carmona, on the death of her father. Iberdrola has sponsored the Spanish women's national football team since 2016 and created the hashtag #EllasJueganSoñamosTodos to collect all the messages of support for the team on social networks. The company was the first to promote women's football, naming the competition Iberdrola Primera División Femenina RFEF from 2016, a nomenclature that changed in 2018 to Primera Iberdrola, until the 2021/22 season. Now, it continues to exercise its commitment to the professionalisation of women's football by promoting women's football competitions, such as the Iberdrola Queen's Cup and the Iberdrola Spanish Super Cup, as well as the Iberdrola First Federation. It is also the main promoter of women's sport in our country. It supports 32 national sports federations, gives its name to 32 top-level leagues and 100 other competitions. It reaches two out of every three federated women in Spain - a total of more than 600,000 sportswomen - and the number of women's licences in the Federations it supports has grown by 36%. READ MORE
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17/08/2023Iberdrola's distributors in Brazil are recognised as the best in the country Iberdrola, through Neoenergía Cosern, the distributor of its Brazilian subsidiary Neoenergia, has been recognised as the best distributor in Brazil by receiving the National category of the Abradee 2023 Award from the Brazilian Association of Electricity Distributors (Abradee). The award is the highest recognition in the sector in the country. The distributor, which serves the State of Rio Grande do Norte, in the Northeast of Brazil, was also awarded in the Best Regional and Best Operational Management categories. "We are very proud to receive all these awards that recognise the effort and dedication of our entire team in offering quality energy to the state of Rio Grande do Norte", said Fabiana Lopes, CEO of Neoenergia Cosern. For its part, Elektro, another of the company's distributors in Brazil, came second in the national category, among more than 40 companies. It also won the award for best distributor in the Southeast region of the country, as well as awards in the categories of Management Quality and Performance Evolution. "These awards show that we are on the right path, always seeking excellence in the provision of our services, putting the customer first and having safety as the basis of our actions", said Antônio Casanova, CEO of Neoenergia Elektro. In addition, Neoenergia Pernambuco was also a finalist in the Management Quality category. According to Neoenergia's CEO, Eduardo Capelastegui, the achievements put the Group in the national spotlight it deserves. "I am extremely grateful for the work of all the people who make up Neoenergia. Without everyone's dedication and commitment, we could not do it. Let's keep moving forward, overcoming challenges and always offering the best service to our customers", he assured. There are 42 concessionaires linked to Abradee, serving 99.8% of the country's supply coverage. Those selected for the Abradee 2023 Award follow a ranking based on the calculation of the last year's data. The information collected on management, operational and quality processes is analysed and audited by nationally renowned partners, such as the Ethos Institute, the National Quality Foundation (FNQ) and the Economic Research Institute Foundation (FIPE). The results of the Residential Customer Satisfaction Survey conducted by the Innovare Institute are also taken into account. READ MORE
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15/08/2023Facilitating beekeeping at Iberdrola’s photovoltaic power plants Last July, Iberdrola established a partnership agreement with a local beekeeper (Coolbelha) to install beehives at its photovoltaic plants in operation. A total of 30 hives have been installed, divided equally between the Conde and Algeruz II photovoltaic plants, located in the Setúbal district. A feasibility study was previously carried out with the beekeeper to identify the best location for the hives, in close coordination with the safety of the plant equipment and of the operation and maintenance workers. The installation of the hives was carried out at night, in order to maintain the safety of the bees. Landscape Integration Projects are underway for the photovoltaic plants, which will include the cultivation of specific aromatic species (melliferous) to increase the quality of the honey and also to achieve a complete symbiosis between beekeeping activity and the generation of clean energy. In addition to producing honey, bees act as pollinators in a radius of at least one kilometre around their hives. They are tireless workers who promote the maintenance of the biodiversity of the local flora. Also, in the first quarter of this year, sheep grazing was introduced in the areas of photovoltaic panels for local cheese and wool production. These types of projects (beekeeping and grazing) are part of the implementation of Iberdrola's Environmental Plan, a global commitment to mitigate impacts, promote local development, respect natural resources and biodiversity, and foster the circular economy. Iberdrola has carried out numerous environmental and social projects, and is now launching this new and challenging beekeeping project that will be replicated in all of the company's photovoltaic plants in Portugal. The Conde photovoltaic park , located in the Setúbal district, was completed at the end of last year and has an installed capacity of 14 megawatts (MW), which will prevent the emission of 6,000 tonnes of CO2/year into the atmosphere. The Algeruz photovoltaic park , located in the district of Setúbal, was completed last year and consists of 50,580 photovoltaic modules with a total installed capacity of 27 MW, which will prevent the emission of around 14,000 tonnes of CO2/year. Iberdrola is committed to becoming one of the main promoters of solar energy in Portugal, one of the most efficient technologies in the fight against climate change, capable of adapting to natural cycles and weather conditions to produce renewable, inexhaustible and competitive energy. Iberdrola has an extensive portfolio to develop 2,000 MW of photovoltaic power in different parts of the country in the coming years. The Iberdrola group began its commitment to renewable energies more than two decades ago as a fundamental pillar for building its clean, reliable and intelligent business model. Thanks to this vision, the company is leading the energy transition towards a low-emission economy and is today a world leader in renewable energies, with more than 41,200 MW of renewable energy installed worldwide. READ MORE
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14/08/2023Iberdrola launches Carbon2Nature to reduce the global carbon footprint through nature-based solutions Iberdrola launches Carbon2Nature (C2N) with the mission of developing high-impact nature-based solutions projects that reduce the global carbon footprint, improve biodiversity, and promote a sustainable economy. The company was born out of the utility’s conviction that investing in nature is essential to act against the climate and biodiversity crisis, while at the same time acting as a formula for sustainable value creation and profitability. Carbon2Nature harnesses the potential of carbon credit markets , driving the development of in-house or collaborative projects that will generate high quality carbon credits, which Carbon2Nature will make available to its customers to support them on their path to net zero emissions, complementing ambitious decarbonisation strategies. The company expects to capture and store in natural sinks more than 61 million tonnes of CO2, thanks to the promotion of ecosystem conservation and restoration projects in more than 100,000 hectares, mainly forests, but also coastal ecosystems (blue carbon) or agricultural soils. These projects will avoid emissions from their degradation, contribute to additional carbon sequestration and at the same time, promote multiple environmental and social benefits. It will also launch initiatives to promote emerging solutions and sustainable production processes. Its business plan focuses on regions where Iberdrola is present and where these nature-based solutions have significant potential, so that Latin American countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile will host 80% of its projects, while countries in the northern hemisphere, such as Spain, the United Kingdom and Portugal, will account for the remaining 20%. Today, Carbon2Nature is already working on the development of projects in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Spain. Miguel Ángel García Tamargo, director of Carbon2Nature, explains that "to face the global challenge of climate change, the firm was created with the ambition to make a long-term impact at an international level. In order to achieve this, it is committed to diversification in geographies and projects and promotes collaborative strategies for their development with local communities and other actors, guaranteeing the highest levels of quality. We come to this new market with humility and a desire to do things differently, bringing all of Iberdrola's experience in sustainability to the world of nature-based solutions and the generation of carbon credits". All projects will be certified against internationally recognised quality standards, which will also validate their contribution to improving biodiversity, the well-being of local communities and other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The zero net emissions commitment Carbon2Nature underscores Iberdrola's commitment to a sustainable energy model in harmony with nature and people. This model is underpinned by two main objectives: to achieve net-zero emissions in all scopes by 2040 and to have a net positive impact on biodiversity by 2030, according to its Biodiversity Plan. The company is therefore able to take advantage of the synergies between Iberdrola's climate and biodiversity objectives, allowing it to expand and extend its internal nature restoration projects, and realising the opportunities of the green economy. As such, in 2020 it launched the Tree Programme to promote the conservation and planting of 20 million trees by 2030. Iberdrola has launched Carbon2Nature through its start-up programme, PERSEO , which has helped the utility to implement innovative solutions to boost renewable energies, decarbonisation and electrification of the economy, digitalisation of grids, promotion of efficient storage and care for the environment. The programme's ecosystem includes more than 7,500 start-ups, including unicorns - companies valued at more than $1 billion - such as electric vehicle charging solutions manufacturer Wallbox and Stem, which offers smart battery storage solutions. READ MORE
