Structure solar under quarantine: Ibox Energy on 50MW launch in Spain

Apr 27, 2020 06:54 PM ET
  • Precaution and also PV-keen investors have actually permitted a subsidy-free solar endeavor to begin in the midst of Spain's nationwide quarantine, with prepare for conclusion prior to year-end.
Structure solar under quarantine: Ibox Energy on 50MW launch in Spain
Image: Ibox Energy

In current days, collaboration Ibox Energy introduced that the release of a 50MW PV project in Southern Spain released in the days after Monday 13 April, when Spain raised a 10-day building freeze established to restrict the spread of COVID-19 throughout non-essential industries.

Spoken To by PV Tech, an agent from Ibox Energy-- a collaboration in between designers Ibexia Development and also Cox Energy-- defined the precaution applied at the 100GWh-a-year subsidy-free website in Posadas, to the west of the Andalusian city of Córdoba.

Building and construction will certainly be dealt with by Beijing-headquartered EPC PowerChina Group as well as need 200 employees throughout its peak stage, the representative stated, including that the varieties of onsite team have actually been boosted to counter the time out caused by Spain's building and construction freeze.

From hygienic masks to handwear covers, job changes as well as social distancing, every one of the legitimately called for precaution have actually been presented to reduce possible COVID-19 infections according to authorities' referrals, the speaker included.

Solar elements of the 50MW subsidy-free Posadas plant

Monocrystalline modules Inverters Structure
440W Number of inverters: 18+1 Solar tracker over Genius Tracker axis
144 half-cut cells Nominal power: 2550 kVA @40°C Pitch: 12 m
Maximum voltage of 1500V Maximum power: 2600 kVA @25°C Setup: 2Vx56, 2Vx42 and 2Vx28
Dimensions of 2094x1038x35mm Independent MPPTs: 12 Rotation range: ±55º

Resource: Ibox Energy

No financing headwinds for EUR37m subsidy-free plant

Spain's elimination on 13 April 2020 of the 10-day stay-at-home commitment for building and construction employees led the way for a reboot of solar implementation. From utility Iberdrola to EPC Solarpack as well as oil significant Repsol, sector gamers have actually verified solar job has actually returned to because that day.

Quizzed over any kind of pandemic-driven hold-ups with deliveries, the Ibox Energy representative claimed the core elements of the 50MW plant (see table over) have actually been supplied uncreative, while specific "small" devices has actually seen mild hold-ups.

" The awakening of China's economic climate is enabling us to preserve the currently devoted delivery target dates," stated the agent. They would certainly not determine the PV providers Ibox Energy is dealing with, besides explaining them as companies with a "tested record" as well as "high manufacturing capability".

Some in Spain have actually advised the accident in power rates is placing sponsors off solar however according to the agent, the 50MW Posadas project has actually not encountered troubles on this front. Funding for the EUR37 million (US$ 40 million) plant has, they reported, adhered to the "normal treatments".

The subsidy-free project will certainly be funded with financial investment from Ibox Energy as well as Triodos Bank. Power from the 50MW plant will certainly move to PPA offtaker Nexus Energía, a power trading company. The purchase is the very first solar PPA bargain Triodos has actually funded in Spain, the representative claimed.

Prepare for conclusion by Q4 2020 as 1.5 GW pipe impends

According to Ibox Energy, the strategy is to take the subsidy-free 50MW plant to the goal prior to completion of 2020. "We will certainly meet our dedications," the agent claimed. "The plant will certainly be functional by the year's last quarter, [after] around 6 months."

The Posadas solar plant is just one of a collection Ibox Energy is organizing over the following couple of years. In the very first fifty percent of 2020, the collaboration is considering an 89MW solar project in Manzanares, in the Ciudad Real district, complied with by more endeavors.

In conclusion, Ibox Energy's existing solar pipe surpasses 1.5 GW throughout Spain. The properties, divided throughout various advancement stages, are set up to go real-time within the following 2 years in Extremadura, Andalusia, Aragon, Catalonia, Castilla y León as well as Castilla-La Mancha.

Cox Energy particularly was the developer behind what was reported as one of the biggest solar PPAs back in 2018. In March that year, the company got power supplier Audax Renovables as the offtaker for a 660MW solar pipe, equal to a yearly supply of 1,300 GWh.


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