A total of 15 wind turbines will be installed in the region of Navarre (11 at the Barásoain wind farm and four at Tirapu) for a total power of 49.5 MW and a total production of 155,000 MWh.
It is estimated that the two infrastructures –associated with the May 2017 wind power auction– will create 300 jobs.
Naturgy is reaffirming its commitment to renewable energy in Navarre with these two new wind farms.
Naturgy has begun construction work on two wind farms located around five municipalities of Navarre: Añorbe, Artajona, Barásoain, Olóriz and Tirapu. These projects will have a total of 15 wind turbines that will have a combined total power of 49.5 MW and a total production of 155,000 MWh/year, requiring a total investment of close on 45 million euros.
Each one of the 15 wind turbines will have a unit power of 3.3 MW. 11 of the wind farms will be located at the Barásoain wind farm for an estimated annual production of 113,000 MWh, while the remaining four will be located at the Tirapu wind farm for a total of 42,000 MWh/year.
The ceremony to lay the first stone, which was held this morning, was attended by the Vice President for Economic Development of the Regional Government of Navarre, Manu Ayerdi Olaizola, and the Mayor of Añorbe, Joaquín Sanz, accompanied by Carlos González Samano, Generation Development Manager of Naturgy, and Jesús Manuel Calvo Arroyo, Renewables Development Projects Manager for Naturgy in Navarre.
The work started so far consist of land clearing and earthworks. Excavation and work on the foundations for the turbines will begin subsequently in order to finally start assembling the turbines. The first output from these wind farms is scheduled to take place in early July 2019.
“With the development of these projects, both associated with the renewable power auction held by the Government of Spain in May 2017, the company is strengthening its commitment to Navarre. Furthermore, these infrastructures demonstrate Naturgy’s strong commitment to increasing renewable generation, as reflected in our 2018-2022 Strategic Plan”, said Carlos González Samano, Generation Development Manager of Naturgy.
It is estimated that the construction of the two wind farms will create a total of 300 jobs. Furthermore, development of the initial engineering for the two wind farms was carried out via the Navarre Industry Association (AIN) and involved the factories of Nordex-Acciona in Barásoain, Lumbier and Castejón to manufacture the turbines, nacelles, blades and tower segments. As far as possible, local suppliers were also used for the public and electricity works.
15 wind turbines will produce enough electricity to power some 62,000 homes
The 15 wind turbines included in the Barásoain and Tirapu wind farm projects in Navarre will generate the electricity consumed by some 62,000 homes each year, equivalent to the consumption by all the towns in the municipalities where the wind farms are located (Añorbe, Artajona, Barásoain, Olóriz and Tirapu) for 50 years or the annual consumption by half the population of Pamplona. At the same time, they will reduce environmentally harmful emissions and greenhouse effect emissions by 122,000 tonnes/year.
AW132 3300 model wind turbines from Nordex-Acciona are being used for these projects, which have a hub height of 120 metres, a rotor diameter of 132 metres and a height to blade tip of 186 metres.
Environmental and archaeological monitoring will be continuously carried out during the construction to guarantee compliance with the measures outlined in the Environmental Impact Statement regarding vegetation, fauna, atmosphere, hydrology and cultural and archaeological elements. The affected areas will be revegetated, and periodic environmental monitoring will be performed throughout the life of the farm.
Commitment from Naturgy to renewable energies in Navarre
Naturgy owns a 50% stake in another four wind farms operated by the company Derna. The installations, consisting of more than 130 wind turbines and an installed power capacity of 146 MW, are located in nine towns around Navarre: Añorbe, Artajona, Barásoain, Biurrun-Olcoz, Funes, Leoz, Peralta, Tirapu and Unzué. The company began operating the San Esteban Wind Farm in 1999, which was followed by the Caluengo Wind Farm in 2001, the Uzquita Wind Farm in 2004 and the San Esteban II Wind Farm, which was built between 2004 and 2007.
