Iberdrola gets green light to boost hybridization of its Cedillo hydroelectric plant with 75 MW of solar

The ministerial resolution clears the way for the construction of a facility that Iberdrola began processing in December 2021 and which received a favorable environmental declaration in 2023.

Iberdrola takes another step toward combining solar and hydroelectric generation at its facilities in Extremadura. The Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge has granted Iberdrola Generación the prior administrative and construction permits to develop a 75.3 MW photovoltaic plant in Cedillo (Cáceres), which will be hybridized with Group 3 of the hydroelectric plant already in operation by the company in this location.

The resolution, published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on October 28, also declares the public utility of the installation and its evacuation infrastructure. The project, named Cedillo Hybridization, will enable the integration of both renewable technologies and leverage existing electrical infrastructure to jointly evacuate the generated energy to the transmission grid.

The new facility will feature a photovoltaic module capacity of 99.4 MWp, with an installed capacity of 75.302 MW. To achieve this, Iberdrola will deploy a total of 160,080 bifacial photovoltaic modules rated at 540 Wp, accompanied by 46 inverters and 15 transformer stations. The panels will incorporate a single-axis horizontal solar tracking system to adjust their orientation according to the sun’s position and optimize radiation capture.

The plant will have an access capacity of 86.44 MW and will connect to the transmission grid via the 400 kV Cedillo substation, owned by Red Eléctrica. To this end, the project includes a 30 kV underground evacuation infrastructure and the expansion of the SET FV Cedillo substation, where three new connection cells will be installed.

The remaining infrastructure required to evacuate electricity to the transmission grid is included in a separate project, known as FV San Antonio, which Iberdrola has submitted to the Junta de Extremadura. This project is not part of the application recently resolved by the Ministry.

A project pending implementation since 2021

The administrative process for the Cedillo Hybridization project began on December 22, 2021, when Iberdrola submitted the application for prior administrative authorization, construction authorization, and declaration of public utility. The project received a favorable environmental impact statement on October 23, 2023, although its development was subject to the fulfillment of various preventive, corrective, and compensatory measures.

Among the main environmental requirements is the protection of watercourses and nearby wetland areas. In particular, the areas surrounding the Charca Seca and another temporary wetland located downstream must be kept free of installations and photovoltaic panels, maintaining a minimum distance of 20 meters from the maximum water level line. Furthermore, Iberdrola will be required to compensate for the affected area of habitat of community interest through active restoration, at a ratio of two hectares restored for every hectare impacted.

Iberdrola and Naturgy join forces to develop a pumped hydroelectric plant in Galicia. A Senra Infraestructuras, a company in which both firms hold stakes, has applied for a concession of up to 75,000 liters per second from the Sil and Edrada rivers for a hydraulic storage project in Parada de Sil.

The resolution also establishes specific measures to protect the archaeological heritage. Certain elements identified during the environmental assessment must be excluded from the construction works, while sites 27 and 29 will require a comprehensive excavation of their core areas and must be surrounded by a 25-meter protection zone measured from the outer boundary of the intervened sites.

Before commencing the works, the company must demonstrate the proper implementation of compensatory measures, conduct preliminary surveys of flora and fauna, and coordinate the construction schedule with environmental authorities. It will also be required to submit a livestock management plan for the facility and ensure archaeological monitoring during earthworks.

Regarding the deadlines, Iberdrola must obtain the operating authorization within the shorter of the following two periods: 24 months from the notification of the resolution, or the period corresponding to the milestones established in Royal Decree-Law 23/2020. In any case, the regulation stipulates that the total period to obtain such authorization shall not exceed eight years.