Iberdrola secures 144 MW of wind projects

Spain's dominant wind operator, utility Iberdrola, has bagged a further 144 MW of wind projects as well as clinching a 124 MW wind plant construction contract with a competing developer. Last month, Iberdrola's renewables wing, IberRenova, bought operational wind plants totalling 117 MW from turbine and developing giant Gamesa. The EUR 31.7 million deal is for five plants across the regions of Rioja, Castile-La Mancha and Castile and León. The purchase means IberRenova now owns or holds majority shares in 1788 MW of online wind capacity. It also marks the fifth phase in IberRenova's deal last year to buy 982 MW of operational plants from Gamesa for EUR 1100 million up to 2004. Around 350 MW now remains to be honoured. Iberdrola has also clinched final permits for a 12 MW extension to its existing 27 MW Larouca wind plant in Galicia, a project it developed rather than bought. Building is already underway and scheduled for completion in December, bringing the utility's Galician wind total to 487 MW. At the same time, Iberdrola's engineering arm, Iberinco, has won a turnkey contract to build three wind plants totalling 124 MW developed by Sinae, the renewables wing of utility Hidrocantábrico. The three plant are for the Albacete province of Castile-La Mancha. Iberdrola views the contract as "a new step in its strategy to capture clients outside the group."