Iberdrola has gained approval to commence preliminary construction of the El Escudo wind farm in Cantabria, Spain.

The project, headed by local firm Biocantaber - in which Iberdrola España holds a stake - is set to bolster Spain's renewable energy capacity.

The El Escudo facility, with a planned capacity of 101MW, is poised to produce energy sufficient for the annual needs of 95,300 households.

The initiative will prevent the emission of 45,000mt of CO₂ each year.

The wind farm represents a €120m ($130m) investment, with a substantial portion allocated to local businesses, creating 200 jobs during peak construction periods.

It will be the first wind farm in Spain to implement building information modelling, allowing for precise construction management and measures to reduce environmental impact.

Spread across four municipalities, the wind farm will feature 24 turbines. The municipalities of Molledo, Luena and Campoo de Yuso will host 23 of the 24 planned turbines and the wind farm's electrical substation.

During the permitting process, one wind turbine was removed from the design but may be re-instated if archaeological surveys confirm that it will not interfere with a local archaeological site.

The digital model for the project is being developed by INGECID, a Cantabrian company with ties to the Santander School of Civil Engineering.

The project received its environmental impact statement (DIA) in May 2021 and its prior administrative authorisation in May 2022.

The Regional Commission for Territorial and Urban Planning (CROTU) approved the construction of El Escudo wind farm in October 2023.

The Spanish utility giant reported a 64% increase in net profits, reaching €4.1bn for the first half of 2024.

The surge was attributed to the sale of its Mexican business operations. In June 2023, Iberdrola completed the divestment of a 55% stake in its Mexican business, including 8.5GW of gas-fired plants, to Mexico Infrastructures Partners.

The deal, which exceeded €5.4bn, led to €1.2bn in capital gains, as detailed in the company’s interim financial results.

In July 2024 Iberdrola announced the progression of its €1bn Windanker offshore wind project into its delivery phase.