RWE is investing more than 40 million euros in its new Rea Unificado wind farm in north-eastern Spain. The 43-megawatt (MW) wind farm is to be built in Soria, approximately 160 kilometres east of Saragossa. The nine Nordex wind turbines will be erected from Spring 2022, with the wind farm due to have commenced operation by the end of this same year.
The company is building nine turbines with a nominal capacity of 4.8 megawatts (MW) each – by far the largest in size and capacity within its Spanish fleet. Once it is fully operational, Rea Unificado will be able to supply 30,000 homes with carbon-neutral electricity. In addition, existing infrastructure will be utilised optimally by connecting the wind farm to an existing substation nearby.
RWE as the engine powering Spain’s drive towards climate neutrality
Due to its geographic situation, attractive external conditions and ambitious climate targets, Spain is ideally positioned to expand wind and solar power facilities. According to the national energy and climate plan, a total of 157 gigawatts (GW) of generation capacity are to be installed in the country by 2030, with 50 GW from wind power alone. As one of the global leaders in the renewables sector, RWE already operates onshore wind farms with a total capacity of 440 megawatts in Spain, as well as some smaller hydroelectric power stations. In addition, the company is currently working on two new solar farms with a capacity of 88 MW. Last year, RWE commissioned the Alarcos ground-mounted solar power station with a capacity of 45 MW. Furthermore, the company is involved in a photovoltaic plant in the province of Toledo and the Andasol 3 solar-thermal power plant.
The energy group is currently constructing onshore wind farms in the US, the UK, France, Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany. By 2030, RWE will expand its installed onshore wind and solar capacity from seven to 20 gigawatts.