— Aquila Clean Energy has obtained administrative authorisation to develop seven solar PV plants in Castilla-La Mancha

— The plant in Montealegre del Castillo is expected to become operational in 2024. It will generate enough clean energy to supply 19,500 households, avoiding the emission of 19,200 tonnes of CO2 per year

— The plant will employ around 140 people

Madrid, 18 July 2023 The Albacete municipality of Montealegre del Castillo is set to increase its renewables capacity through a new solar photovoltaic plant, developed by Aquila Clean Energy, with a peak capacity of 42MW.

The facility, which began to be built in June, is expected to be operational by 2024. It will generate enough clean energy to supply 19,500 homes annually, avoiding the emission of 19,200 tonnes of CO2 per year.

The solar PV plant, Aquila Clean Energy’s fourth under construction in the region, will create around 140 jobs.

“The start of construction at this renewable energy project is a big step towards strengthening our commitment to Castilla-La Mancha, where we already have a plant generating clean energy,” says Jorge de Miguel, Head of Development and Construction for Aquila Clean Energy in Spain.

This facility is part of the company’s portfolio in Castilla-La Mancha, where it has recently obtained the green light to continue with the development of seven solar plants. These will generate more than 2,550 jobs across the region.

The total generating capacity of the projects that Aquila Clean Energy is developing in Spain will exceed 3 GW in the next five years.

Crops, replanting and steppe birds: this is how nature and solar plants coexist

In order to promote the energy transition in the region while respecting the environment, Aquila Clean Energy’s solar plants are implementing measures to integrate and re-naturalise the environment.

This plant in Montealegre del Castillo has a diversification and crop rotation plan for leguminous and cereal crops that maintains long-term fallow land. Other measures will include the replanting of vegetation under solar panels over 100 square metres and the creation of a vegetation screen to integrate the plant into the environment.

With regard to the protection of fauna, compensation is planned for steppe bird habitats over an area of 72 hectares, equivalent to 50% of the plant’s surface area. In addition, 15 nesting boxes and three drinking troughs have been installed to encourage the development of fauna around the plant.

To enhance the development of local communities, Aquila Clean Energy also implements a social strategy where it operates. For example, at two of the company’s other plants, local workers have been trained to provide ongoing maintenance to the plants.