Iberdrola has received approval to begin preliminary construction on a €120 million wind farm in Cantabria, northern Spain. The El Escudo wind farm, with a planned capacity of 101 MW, is being developed by Biocantaber, a company in which Iberdrola España holds a stake. This project is expected to generate renewable energy equivalent to the annual consumption of 95,300 homes.
The construction work has already started under Prior Administrative Authorisation (AAP) in compliance with regulations. Initial efforts focus on building internal access roads, laying foundations for a future power line, and levelling the land where a substation will be constructed to collect and distribute the renewable energy.
The wind farm will prevent the emission of 45,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. To ensure detailed oversight and minimise environmental impact, the project will use Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology, making it the first wind farm in Spain to do so.
The BIM digital model is being developed by INGECID, a Cantabrian company associated with the Santander School of Civil Engineering. This advanced technology will help manage construction effectively and implement measures to reduce the project's ecological footprint.
By Catrin Jones