Iberdrola has secured an environmental permit for its first wind farm repowering project in Spain's Castile-La Mancha region. The project involves replacing the aging turbines at the 49.5-MW Molar de Molinar wind farm in Albacete province.
Originally commissioned in 2001, the farm was equipped with 75 units of 660-kW turbines. As part of the repowering initiative, Iberdrola will replace these with 11 new 4.5-MW Vestas turbines.
In addition to Molar de Molinar, Iberdrola is also seeking permits for the repowering of the 48-MW Isabela wind farm, also in Albacete.
This project will see the removal of 64 750-kW turbines and their replacement with 11 new Vestas turbines—six 4.5 MW units and five 4.2 MW units.
The repowering of both wind farms will reduce the total number of turbines by 117 while increasing energy production by 30%, according to Iberdrola.
The company has also received EUR 22.71 million (USD 24.2 million) in grants from the Spanish government under the circular repowering programme managed by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and its agency IDAE.
