Iberdrola Renovables increased its total electricity production to 21,490 million kWh, the vast majority of which (20,909 GWh) was generated on the company’s wind farms, 560 million kWh at its small-scale hydro plants, and 21 million kWh from other technologies.
In wind power, 9,628 GWh were generated in Spain, 7,731 GWh in the US, 1,764 GWh in the UK and 1,786 GWh in the rest of the world.
The largest increases in output in 2009 were in the UK (43.8%), the US (42.9%), and the rest of the world, with 35.2%. In addition, in the fourth quarter last of 2009, Iberdrola Renovables achieved a new record output of 6,438 GWh.
Wind still core business
The company raised its installed capacity in 2009 by 1,450 MW or 16% to 10,752 MW. Interestingly, over half of this capacity is located outside of Spain. Wind power, which represents nearly 97% of total capacity, still forms the core of the company’s business.
According to the company, its current capacity is equivalent to 11 average-sized Spanish nuclear power plants, “enough to displace the emission of some 9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere a year and supply power to over 22 million Spaniards, almost half the country’s population”.
Close to 50% of the new capacity installed in 2009 (714 MW) was installed in the US, taking the total there to 3,591 MW, 25% higher than just 12 months ago. The company is basing a significant part of its growth on the US, due, among other factors to the favourable regulatory environment there. Installed capacity in the UK, another key market for Iberdrola Renovables, rose 20% to 802 MW.
In Spain, the company has 5,276 MW of capacity. The company ended 2009 with 4,882 MW of wind capacity, a 356 MW increase in the year. It also has 342 MW of small-scale hydro capacity in Spain, 50 MW at the solar thermal plant in Puertollano, Ciudad Real, and 2 MW at its first forestry biomass power plant in Corduente, Guadalajara.
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