Iberdrola has commissioned its first solar park in Germany, marking an expansion of its onshore renewable energy portfolio in the country, the company said on Tuesday.
The Boldekow solar park, located in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, features 80,000 photovoltaic panels and is expected to generate more than 53 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of renewable electricity annually. Under a long-term supply agreement, the power will be used to operate approximately 3,000 Vodafone mobile towers across Germany.
Iberdrola said the project would save around 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, supporting Vodafone’s long-term decarbonisation goals.
“This is another building block to expand our exclusively renewable energy offering in Germany,” said Felipe Montero, CEO of Iberdrola Deutschland. He added that the company selected Mecklenburg-Vorpommern due to its “strong solar radiation” and the region’s “openness and support for such a sustainable project.”
Covering an area equivalent to 65 football fields, the solar park is expected to operate for at least 30 years.
Marcel de Groot, CEO of Vodafone Germany, said: “Digitalisation can only be truly effective if we make it more sustainable ourselves. That’s why we’re now relying even more on solar energy for mobile communications in Germany.”
Vodafone has sourced 100% of its electricity from renewable sources since 2020 and noted that the Iberdrola agreement supports its long-term sustainable energy planning.
Construction of the Boldekow project involved several partners, including Solarpro, Sungrow, P&Q, and 4Energy. Iberdrola said the project would also generate millions of euros in property tax revenues for the local municipality during its lifetime, with local contractors engaged during construction.
Montero added: “The transformation of energy supply must be rooted in the regions. The energy transition will only succeed if we think of all technologies together. Investments in offshore and onshore require clear processes and a reliable regulatory framework.”
Iberdrola is currently the largest offshore wind operator in the German Baltic Sea, with projects including Wikinger, Baltic Eagle and Windanker.
