France-based energy company TotalEnergies to develop 48 solar projects with first installations set for early 2024
France-based energy company TotalEnergies has recently received a positive environmental impact assessment (EIA) for its ambitious solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in Spain. The company has been granted approval for a total of 48 solar projects, with an impressive capacity of 3 gigawatts (GW). The first projects are expected to commence operations in early 2024.
The majority of these solar projects will be situated in the Madrid region, boasting an installed capacity of 1.9 GW. Other significant project locations include Murcia, with over 350 MW, Castile-La Mancha with more than 300 MW, Andalusia with 263 MW, and Aragon with 150 MW.
TotalEnergies’ positive EIA for these projects adds to its recent success in Spain. Earlier this year, the company obtained approval for 401 MW of solar PV plants it is co-developing with the developer arm of Soltec, a Spanish solar tracker supplier.
In addition to the solar projects themselves, TotalEnergies plans to implement several environmental and social measures. These include bird marking for behavior monitoring, leasing an additional 400 hectares of land for conservation efforts, and utilizing 1.5% of plant production to provide electricity bill discounts for local residents. Furthermore, the company will offer training programs to residents in nearby municipalities during the construction and operation phases.
Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, expressed the company’s commitment to promoting renewable energy development in Spain, highlighting its 2 million residential and business customers in the country. He considers the favorable environmental impact assessment as a significant step forward for TotalEnergies.
Spain has been actively approving various environmental impact assessments in the renewable energy sector. This year alone, over 25 GW of solar PV capacity received EIA approval, accounting for nearly 90% of the total capacity across different technologies. The Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF) reported that the country added 3.7 GW of ground-mounted PV capacity in 2022.
TotalEnergies’ solar PV projects in Spain align with the growing renewable energy trend in the country, contributing to its ambitious renewable energy goals while providing environmental and socioeconomic benefits to the local communities.