Naturgy begins construction of its largest photovoltaic plant in Spain to supply 157,000 homes

Naturgy has begun the construction of its largest photovoltaic installation in Spain, Arañuelo Fieldlocated in the province of Cáceres (Estremadura). With 300 MW of peak power, the new plant will produce around 515 GWh/year of energy from renewable sources, an amount equivalent to the electricity consumption of 157,100 homes. Likewise, the installation will contribute to reducing more than 250,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year.

The company will invest more than 150 million euros in the installation, which will have an area of ​​290 hectares. During the works and operation phase, more than a thousand direct and indirect jobs will be created. The works have begun after passing the administrative and environmental development process and once the building licenses have been obtained from the two town councils involved, Aldeacentenera and Torrecillas de la Tiesa. Its entry into operation is scheduled for 2026.

With this infrastructure, Naturgy will add a total of 442 renewable MW in Extremadura. Campo de Arañuelo will join the Merengue and Merengue II wind farms, in Plasencia, and to the Miraflores photovoltaic plants, in Castuera, and Puerta del Jerte, also in Plasencia. Together with Campo de Arañuelo, the Group is building, in the municipality of Badajoz, the El Encinar I, Los Naipes and Los Naipes II photovoltaic plants, which have a combined installed power of 150 MW.

Naturgy manages, in Extremadura, in different phases of development, construction and operation, a portfolio of nine projects, totaling a power of 651 MWwith a global production of more than 1,300 GWh/year, which will mean the generation of electricity equivalent to nearly 400,000 homes.

Commitment to the energy transition

Naturgy has assumed the commitment to be one of the actors leaders of the energy transition towards a circular and decarbonized economy model. The group allocated 90% of the investment executed in 2023 to energy transition projects, with 1,730 million focused on the renewable energy generation and more than 900 million in distribution networks.

Naturgy currently has around 6.5 GW of installed renewable generation capacity in operation (3.3 GW of wind generation, 2.2 GW of hydroelectric generation and 1 GW of photovoltaic), and expects to end the year 2024 with around 8 GW of operational installed capacity, to which would have to be added a pipeline of projects in development of almost 20 GW, mainly in Spain, Australia and the USA.

In the field of renewable gases, Naturgy manages a total of 70 projects in different states of progresse, all of them in Spanish territory and focused on biomethane (60 projects) and hydrogen (10 projects). Biomethane represents an opportunity as a vector of the energy transition, and Naturgy is making efforts in this sector.

Follow us on WhatsApp and receive the top news and the most interesting stories.