Plenitude starts construction of a new 220MW solar plant in Villarino de los Aires in Spain

• The solar plant, located in Salamanca, is one of the largest in Castilla y León and it is estimated that it will produce more than 400 GWh per year.

Villarino de los Aires (Salamanca), 17 October 2024 - Plenitude has started the construction works in Villarino de los Aires (Salamanca, Spain) of a solar plant, with a future installed capacity of 220 MW, that will be among the largest in Castilla y León. The cornerstone laying ceremony held today was attended by representatives of the Regional Government of Castilla y León, the City Council and the Company.

The park will cover an area of around 286 hectares and will be connected to the national transmission grid at the Villarino de los Aires junction via a 3.2 km underground medium-voltage line. The facility will have 365,300 bifacial modules and it is estimated that it will produce over 400,000 MWh of electricity per year.

The plant will be completed by 2025 with the support of Sterling & Wilson, one of the largest global photovoltaic construction companies, together with other relevant local firms.

In addition, to protect the territory some measures have been implemented such as, for example, the conservation and relocation of rural huts between the modules, the conservation of natural water channels crossing the area, the provision of permeable hunting fence surrounding the precinct and the active coordination with neighboring farmers to ensure the compatibilization of the project with the land-use.

‘The Villarino project is a virtuous example of integration with the territory. Being here today, in the presence of all the actors involved, is tangible proof of our willingness to continue this collaborative approach in the coming years, in line with our business and growth strategy in the country’ explained Mariangiola Mollicone, Head of Western Europe Renewables and Managing Director of Plenitude in Spain.

With the start of works in Villarino, Plenitude strengthens its presence in Castilla y León, where it already has a wind plant with an installed capacity of around 13 MW.

Plenitude currently operates more than 440 MW of installed capacity of photovoltaic and wind energy in Spain with plants located, in addition to Castilla y León, also in Galicia, La Rioja, Catalonia, Castilla-La Mancha and Murcia and projects currently under construction totaling around 1GW in Andalusia (Seville and Granada), Castilla y León (Salamanca) and Extremadura (Badajoz).  In parallel, the company is working on more than 2 GW capacity with new projects at different stages of development.

Plenitude, a company controlled by Eni, is active in over 15 countries across the world with a business model integrating the production of electricity from renewable sources, with over 3 GW installed capacity, the sale of energy and energy solutions to 10 million European clients, and an extensive network of over 20,000 charging points for electric vehicles. By 2027, the company intends to reach 11,5 million clients, more than 8 GW of installed renewable capacity, and 40,000 charging points.