According to a press release submitted to Europa Press, the agreement includes the creation of a society shared at 50% by both companies, aiming to develop and build plants using parabolic troughs. The total investment will be around 600 million euros.
The first plant, with 50 MW of capacity, will be built in Badajoz (Southwest Spain), as the area has "optimum radiation and climate conditions, which will achieve a greater performance for the plant". The electricity produced will be able to power the town of Mérida, capital city of the region.
More than 1,000 people will be employed in the construction phase, and 50 more will be employed permanently once the plant starts to operate. The plant will be ready in 18 months; The location of the upcoming plants has not been decided yet.
This piece of news follows the announcement made by IDAE and Iberdrola of the construction of another 50 MW plant in Puertollano, not too far away from Badajoz. Spain, which was the second country to develop large-scale solar thermal technology with a facility in the Plataforma Solar de Almeria (America was first at the Mojave desert) seems to be embracing this technology again now, albeit this time at commercial level. We will probably see additional announcements in this respect.
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