Portuguese utility EDP Renewables has received authorization to operate Spain‘s first-ever hybrid project that combines wind and solar power at a single location.
The installation is located in Santa María del Cubillo, Ávila, near the Cruz de Hierro wind farm. The company has installed more than 25,000 solar panels through its subsidiary, Parque Eólico Altos del Voltoya, with the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) holding a stake. These panels will be connected to the wind farm’s substation.
The Cruz de Hierro wind farm comprises 22 wind turbines with an installed capacity of 14.5 MW. It will now be complemented by 13.8 MWp (11.38 MWac) of installed photovoltaic capacity. Together, they will generate over 58 GWh of electricity annually, enough to satisfy the consumption needs of about 17,000 households in the area. Furthermore, this hybrid plant will reduce the emission of more than 24,000 tons of CO2.
This hybrid plant is the first of its kind in Spain to receive authorization for operation and the second in the entire Iberian Peninsula, following EDPR’s inaugural global hybrid project in northern Portugal last January. The solar installation incorporates bifacial panels, allowing it to harness solar radiation from both sides.
By linking the solar facility to an existing wind farm, EDPR can maximize clean energy production by making use of pre-existing infrastructure, addressing one of the main challenges in renewable development across Europe. As a result, hybridization emerges as one of the most effective ways to increase renewable energy generation without the need to expand the electricity grid and shorten commissioning times.
Miguel Stilwell d’Andrade, CEO of EDP Renewables, remarked, “The first wind-solar hybrid farm in the country demonstrates EDPR’s pioneering and forward-thinking nature since we were the first company to receive authorization to operate such projects in Spain and Portugal. Through this hybrid plant, we optimize power generation from both technologies, enhance grid stability, and ensure a consistent energy supply. We will continue developing sustainable solutions that optimize Spain’s valuable natural resources.”
Spain has set ambitious targets for renewable energy production, aiming to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2050.
EDPR is presently constructing and developing 15 wind-solar hybridization projects in Spain, which jointly add more than 200 MW of renewable capacity to the nation.
