- The installation has an installed capacity of 12.53 MWp and 10.73 MWn and produces 20.17 GWh/year.
- Within the framework of these renewable energy constructions, Endesa plans to organise training courses on the maintenance and operation of renewable plants in the municipalities of Palma, Llucmajor and Alcúdia.
The Vice President and Minister of Energy Transition and Productive Sectors of the Balearic Island Government, Juan Pedro Yllanes, and the Mayor of Palma, José Hila, accompanied by Rafael González, General Manager of Generation at Endesa and Martí Ribas, General Manager of Endesa in the Balearic Islands, visited the works for the new photovoltaic solar plant in Son Reus, with an installed capacity of 12.53 MWp, and located in the municipality of Palma.
The new Son Reus plant, which is in the final phase of construction and is expected to come into operation in May, is part of a series of renewable projects that Endesa is undertaking in the islands together with Sa Caseta, Biniatria, Son Orlandis and Ca na Lloreta, located in the Balearic Islands with a total power of 56.6 MWp and co-financed by ERDF funds, involving a total investment of 47 million euros.
With regard to this series of projects, Sa Caseta, with a power of 21.83 MWp, and Biniatria, with a power of 14.97 MWp, are already in production, while Son Reus and Son Orlandis are under construction.
Specifically, the Son Reus solar plant, with an installed capacity of 12.53 MWp and 10.73 MWn and a production of 20.17 GWh/year, will have 58 185 kVA inverters and 2 5.25 MVA transformation centres, which will be able to supply energy to 5,114 homes and avoid the emission of 8,230 tons of CO2, as well as being able to avoid the purchase of 3.77 million cubic metres of gas per year. During the construction phase an average of 57 workers/week participate in the work, reaching a peak of 189.
In addition to its technical features, the installation will involve taking innovative environmental measures, such as the planting by Endesa of 1,119 almond and carob trees on a rainfed agricultural estate within the surroundings of the Sa Caseta solar plant, in the municipality of Llucmajor, to guarantee the conservation of an agricultural area which until now had no agricultural activity.
"Endesa is firmly committed to the decarbonisation of the energy mix by 2040 and that is why we are making an effort to develop new renewable capacity in the Balearic Islands" said Rafael González, who highlighted "the importance of these solar plants being constructed always taking into account the environments in which we undertake our activity, because it is not just a matter of building new renewable capacity, but of doing it with everyone's agreement."
Martí Ribas stressed the importance of working together with private companies and the administration and joining forces to advance along the path towards energy transition. "It is essential to continue working hand in hand with the administrations to advance towards fair and inclusive energy transition. With this in mind, we are organising training courses in the operation and maintenance of renewable plants in the municipalities where we build them."
In the words of Vice President Yllanes, "this plant will enable energy to be supplied to more than 5,000 homes. The implementation of this project will enable the Balearic Islands to take another step in the challenge of decarbonisation", added Yllanes while stressing that "the Government is convinced that Energy Transition should also be fair and that is why we see approve of the environmental measures that are also being taken in these types of processes".
The mayor of Palma, José Hila, also said that "it is important that both public administrations and private companies have the same objective: A commitment to cleaner and more sustainable energies. As a City Council, we are doing this because we believe in the need to develop towards being a city that takes care of the environment".
Endesa's renewable energy subsidiary, Enel Green Power España, applies the "Creation of Shared Value" approach to the development of new renewable capacity, incorporating into its business strategy the priorities and needs to improve the economic and social conditions of the local environment in which it operates.
The social and environmental actions to be developed feature the training of people for the purpose of improving their employability in a sector with great potential in the area. Courses on the operation and maintenance of renewable plants will be organised and recruitment of local workers will take precedence.
Training courses have been envisaged in renewable plants in the municipalities of Palma, Alcúdia and Llucmajor. These courses will be organised in collaboration with the municipalities by means of a framework contract with a training company. The course on the operation of renewable plants in the municipality of Llucmajor already began in February, and the course in the municipality of Alcúdia is expected to begin soon.
About Endesa
Endesa is the largest electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. The company is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. Endesa operates an end-to-end business including generation, distribution and retailing and through Endesa X also offers value-added services aimed at the decarbonisation of energy uses in homes, companies, industries and public administrations. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and strongly supports the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power España, the digitalisation of the grid through e-distribución and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR. Our workforce numbers around 9,260 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, Europe’s largest electricity group.