Spain’s Grupo Industrial Cristian Lay (CL) has commenced construction of a photovoltaic plant to feed production at its Siderúrgica Balboa plant, Kallanish learns from the company.
The facility will be the second-largest industrial self-consumption solar project in Spain.
The new solar plant, located in Jerez de los Caballeros, is expected to have an installed capacity exceeding 25 megawatts (MWp), equipped with 35,820 bifacial solar modules of 700 Wp each.
The infrastructure is being built by the group’s renewable energy engineering and construction firm, Global Energy Services (GES), under an engineering, procurement, and construction contract.
The so-called El Corchito project is estimated to deliver annual energy savings of €2.5 million ($4.04m), bolstering CL’s long-term competitiveness amid volatile energy markets.
“Our commitment to this project is a clear demonstration of our industrial vision for the future: competitive, sustainable, and self-sufficient,” says CL’s steel division chief executive, Miguel Ángel Leal. “Generating renewable energy on-site enables us to reinforce the energy independence of our operations, ensure greater cost stability, and advance decisively in meeting our climate commitments.”
The El Corchito plant will not supply electricity to the national grid, as 100% of the output will be consumed by Siderúrgica Balboa. This will allow the steel plant to cover approximately 10% of its annual energy needs with solar power.
The solar plant is scheduled to be operational before the end of the year. Total investment in this project exceeds €14m.
Siderúrgica Balboa’s facilities in Jerez de los Caballeros comprise a steel mill and two rolling plants. The company produces wire rod and profiles.
CL Grupo Industrial’s steel division also includes companies such as Alfonso Gallardo, Ferromallas, Galvacolor, Corrugados Getafe, Lasaomallas, Marceliano Martín, and Steel Solaris.
Todor Kirkov Bulgaria
