Electricity generation capacity has been doubled and the number of turbines reduced from 69 to 7
The upgrade entailed investment of around EUR 20 million. The new turbines will have an annual output of 66 GWh, sufficient to supply 27,000 households. The work significantly reduces the facility's impact on the landscape and environment.
After 20 years in operation, the Malpica wind farm has been fully upgraded, a process which involved the replacement of its 69 wind turbines featuring now obsolete technology with 7 modern turbines with an annual output of 66 GWh. This is twice that of the replaced turbines. The outlay on the upgrade amounted to almost EUR 20 million. The new facility was inaugurated by the prime minister of the regional government of Galicia, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, and by Jaime Real de Asúa, the chairman of Elecnor.
The Malpica wind farm, owned by the Parque Eólico de Malpica SA (PEMALSA) company, is controlled by the Elecnor Group via its wind energy development and operation company Enerfin (95.55%), the Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy, IDAE (4.25%) and the regional government of Galicia (0.20%).
The upgrade of Malpica was carried out by Enerfin, which is also responsible for the facility's management.
This refurbishment is one of just a few undertaken in Galicia and the largest in terms of installed capacity (16,5 MW), and the facility is also one of the first financed solely from revenue from electricity sales in the market without recourse to shareholders. Financing for the project was awarded by Bankia.
The new wind farm also has a far smaller environmental and landscape impact, with a reduced footprint and a reduction in the number of turbines from 69 to 7. With the energy generated by the repowering to 66 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year, the facility can supply electricity to 27,000 households.
Work on the upgrade began in March 2017 and after several months of intense work involving 200 employees, the first turbine was started up last August. The entire wind farm was started up less than seven months after work commenced.
The project provides a further illustration of the Elecnor Group's commitment to the socioeconomic development of Galicia, where it has another 128 MW of installed capacity in the Faro-Farelo Complex in the provinces of Lugo and Pontevedra.
The inauguration ceremony for this major upgrade was also attended by Eduardo Parga Veiga, mayor and president of the council of Malpica de Bergantiños; Xosé Lois García Carballido, mayor and president of the council of Ponteceso; Manuel Lorenzo Varela Rodríguez, mayor and president of the council of Chantada; Francisco José Conde López, regional minister of the economy, employment and industry; Ángel Bernardo Tahoces, director of energy and mines of the regional government; and Ovidio Rodeiro Tato, provincial delegate of the regional government of Galicia in La Coruña.