Iberdrola completes extension to largest hydroelectric complex in Galicia
Iberdrola has completed the extension to the largest hydroelectric complex in Galicia, following the commissioning of the new San Pedro II power plant, which was inaugurated this morning by the Chairman of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán, and the President of the Regional Government (Xunta) of Galicia, Alberto Nuñez Feijóo, in the Sil River Basin, in the municipality of Nogueira de Ramuín (Ourense).
The commissioning of this facility marks the conclusion of the extension to the Santo Esteve-San Pedro hydroelectric complex, on which Iberdrola has been working on since 2008, a project in which the company has invested some €200 million and provided employment to almost 800 people.
This initiative has also given a boost to the business sector in Galicia: in the construction of San Pedro II alone, some 80 local companies have taken part. This figure rises to 200 if the number of companies participating in the extension to Santo Estevo are also counted.
During the inauguration of the plant, where a commemorative plaque was unveiled, the Chairman of Iberdrola highlighted that “for a company like Iberdrola – which has been connected to hydroelectric technology since it was founded 115 years ago and has been the main driver of this technology in Spain – to achieve this new milestone in harnessing the Sil River is a source of great pride that also reinforces our commitment to promoting renewable energies, which are indispensable in bringing down emissions and progressing towards a sustainable energy model”.
“Thanks to our unwavering commitment towards clean energies, to which we have allocated some €30 billion in investments over the last 10 years, not only are we a major producer of hydroelectric energy; we are also the leading producer of wind power worldwide”, explained Ignacio Galán. “We have become an international benchmark in combating climate change, the main global challenge facing the world today, as we have reduced our emissions by 75% in recent years so that they currently stand at just a third of the average for the European electricity sector”.
The Chairman of Iberdrola also emphasised that “the Galicia region is one of the best examples of this position attained by the company, because thanks to our hydroelectric power plants and wind farms, 100% of our output capacity in this autonomous region comes from renewable sources and is therefore entirely emissions-free”.
Mr. Galán also wished to underline the important role that Galicia plays in the commitment to offshore wind power, an area of technology in which Iberdrola is at the forefront, just as it was with hydroelectric energy and onshore wind power.
Image: Iberdrola chairman Ignacio Galán along with Regional Government (Xunta) of Galicia President Alberto Núñez Feijóo at the opening ceremony. Photo: Courtesy of Iberdrola, S.A.