Friday 14 February 2020

Telecommunications giant Orange signs solar PPA with Iberdrola

Spanish utility Iberdrola is to supply renewable energy to telecommunications company Orange under a new power purchase agreement (PPA).

It will deliver 200GWh of solar power a year to 9,000 offices and buildings operated by Orange in Spain.

A 328MW solar farm being built by Iberdrola in Extremadura, which is expected to be completed later this year, will provide the electricity.

Once operational, the project is expected to save around 110,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

Laurent Paillassot, CEO of Orange said: “This agreement with Iberdrola is in line with our commitment to caring for the planet and for sustainability, set out in the Orange Group's strategic plan, Engage 2025, of which Spain, as its second largest market, is a fundamental part. In addition, it reinforces our strategy as a group to achieve carbon emission neutrality by 2040, while also contributing to increasing the renewable energy capacity in Spain.”

Iberdrola plans to install a total of 3GW of renewable projects in Spain by 2022.

Ángeles Santamaría, CEO of Iberdrola Spain added: “PPAs open many opportunities to develop the renewable projects that are transforming the present and future energy in our country. These long-term energy purchase and sales contracts provide stability to the company's investments and have also become an optimal tool for managing the electricity supply of large consumers who are committed to clean and sustainable consumption.

“In addition, these agreements demonstrate the competitiveness of renewables and their ability to supply energy at affordable and stable prices”.