Capital Energy makes progress with the administrative processing of Pinarejo I and II

The Andalusia regional government grants the pending administrative authorisations to the high-voltage line that will transport clean energy

•  The construction of Pinarejo I and II, both located in the municipality of La Puebla de Cazalla and which total 60 megawatts (MW) of power, will start this year and will lead to the creation of around 190 jobs during the peak periods of the works, unlocking a combined investment of more than 60 million euros

Seville, 18 July 2022.- Capital Energy, a Spanish energy company founded two decades ago with the aim of becoming the first vertically-integrated, 100%-renewable energy company in the Iberian Peninsula, continues to take important steps to launch the commissioning of its clean energy project in Andalusia, more specifically in the province of Seville.

The Andalusia regional government has just granted the three pending administrative authorisations –Unified Environmental (AAU), Prior (AAP) and Construction (AAC)– for the high-voltage line that will feed into the grid the electricity generated by the Sevillian wind farms Pinarejo I and II, which will be located in the locality of La Puebla de Cazalla and that already had these official permits.

After passing this important administrative milestone, both these renewable projects and their evacuation infrastructure face the final stage of their respective procedures, since they only need to obtain the respective building and installation licences.

Pinarejo I will have a capacity of 36 megawatts (MW), shared between seven wind turbines, and will be able to generate around 85,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of clean electricity per year, equivalent to the consumption of more than 32,000 Andalusian households. It will also avoid the annual atmospheric emission of around 32,000 tonnes of CO₂.

The construction of this wind farm will create almost 110 direct jobs during peak periods, and unlock an investment of 40 million euros. The operation and maintenance of Pinarejo I will provide permanent jobs to five professionals in the area and enable the creation of approximately four indirect jobs.

This renewable facility will generate, annually and over the course of its useful life, a fiscal impact of around 100,000 euros on the local coffers, which will also receive the one-off payment of local building tax (ICIO) and other taxes, amounting to around 700,000 euros. Finally, it will contribute approximately 800,000 euros a year to GDP.

For its part, Pinarejo II will have four turbines and an installed capacity of 24 MW. It will be able to generate nearly 60,000 MWh each year, enough to meet the consumption of almost 23,000 homes, also avoiding the atmospheric emission of more than 22,000 tons of CO₂.

Its construction will mean the creation of almost 80 direct jobs during peak construction periods, and unlock an investment of approximately 23 million euros. During the operating and maintenance phase, it is expected to provide stable employment to three professionals from the area and to also help generate two indirect jobs.

Pinarejo II will also throughout its useful life contribute the equivalent of 550,000 euros per year to GDP and about 66,000 euros in annual tax to the local coffers. In addition to this recurring sum is the one-off payment of local building tax (ICIO) and other taxes, which will be around 400,000 euros.

Firm commitment to Andalusia

Capital Energy has in Andalusia one of the nerve centres of its ambitious clean energy project. After all, the group develops more than 1,600 MW, both wind (approximately 1,050 MW) and photovoltaic (close to 600 MW), in this region, one of whose main strengths is the quality of its renewable resource, which is above the national average and which very few regions can match.

The building of this portfolio, made up of 36 projects –25 wind and 11 solar–, would mean an investment of around 1,500 million euros, as well as the creation of more than 5,000 direct jobs, a fiscal contribution of more than 50 million euros and a GDP contribution of more than 300 million euros.

During the operation and maintenance of these facilities, Capital Energy would provide permanent, quality employment for around 200 Andalusian professionals and generate an annual economic impact, via local and regional taxes, of around 5 million euros. It would also contribute more than 33 million euros to GDP every year.

With this renewable capacity, the company would be capable of producing 4,000 GWh of clean electricity per year, equivalent to the energy consumption of more than 1.5 million homes, and avoid the atmospheric emission of almost 1.5 million tons of CO₂.

The locations of these facilities, in six of the eight Andalusian provinces –Almería, Cádiz, Granada, Huelva, Málaga and Seville–, have been selected after carrying out a multi-criteria analysis of all the variables involved –environmental, technical, urban, heritage, social, etc.– and after carrying out an extensive bibliographic review of all current legislation and regulations. The ones with the most megawatts and facilities are Granada (564 MW and nine projects) and Almería (460 MW and eight). They are followed by Málaga (207 MW and five), Seville (201 MW and eight), Cádiz (137 MW and four) and Huelva (49 MW and two).

These figures show that Capital Energy wants to become a driving force for the social and economic development of Andalusia. The aim is to reconcile two objectives: contributing to the decarbonisation of the economy, through the implementation of renewable energy, and promoting the economic and social growth of all the territories in which it operates.

In line with this vision, the company has created the Territories Project, a stand-out initiative that combines its commitment to the transformation of the energy model and its desire to help foster the development of the regions. With this aim in mind, it undertakes to implement actions agreed with local stakeholders that will be framed within specific lines of action, including the improvement of infrastructure and services, connectivity and digitalisation, protection of artistic and cultural heritage, education, health and socio-occupational integration of disadvantaged groups.

The renewable group has already signed two agreements in Andalusia linked to the Territories Project with the municipal governments of Lebrija, a Sevillian municipality where it is finalising the commissioning of the Loma de los Pinos wind farm, and Jerez de la Frontera, a city in the province of Cádiz where it is building the El Barroso wind farm. Through both agreements, the company and the municipalities are already implementing actions that improve the quality of life of the residents. Likewise, Capital Energy is working with the municipalities of Jerez and Ayamonte to encourage the hiring of local workers in the construction of the facilities.

Capital Energy, which already has more than 30 employees in Andalusia and has offices in Seville and Granada, from which it manages the growth of its clean energy project in the region, is also committed to the development of new storage technologies and to green hydrogen.

About Capital Energy

In keeping with its commitment to the Green and Fair Energy Transition, Capital Energy currently has a portfolio of wind and solar energy projects in the Iberian Peninsula amounting to around 30 gigawatts (GW) of power, for which over 8.5 GW already have grid access licences granted.

Capital Energy reached its strategic goal of being present throughout the entire renewable energy generation value chain: from promotion, where the company has a consolidated position thanks to its 20-year history, through to construction, production, storage, operation and supply. The company has 15 offices in Spain and Portugal, where around 360 employees work.