Located in Arraia-Maeztu, it is the first 0 km sustainable electricity cooperative in the Basque Country. In the coming days, the joining process outside the Alavesa Mountain Group will start and the project will be expanded.
Ekiola Mendialdea, the Basque solar energy production cooperative in the municipality of Alava in Arraia-Maeztu, has completed the connection to the electricity grid after six months of work and is now producing renewable energy that supplies the citizens who have committed to this pioneering initiative to produce and consume km 0 electricity.
The Mendialdea photovoltaic solar park has an installed capacity of 1.50 MWp (megawatt peak) thanks to a total of 3,000 panels installed to provide power to the cooperative members. Energy production is estimated at 2118 MWh/year.
The price of Ekiola’s energy, which will be stable for the first 25 years of operation of the plant, is €31.56/MWh, which is a very competitive price compared to the price currently offered by electricity suppliers. For example, the electricity pool price on October 31 was €104.92/MWh. Each member has received an estimate of their savings, which are estimated to be significant given current energy prices.
This project, promoted by the Provincial Council of Alava and EKIOLA (association of the Basque Energy Agency and KREAN), represented an investment of €2.25 million and has received financing from European MRR funds.
As explained by the Provincial Council of Álava, this park allows each home to associate an energy volume equal to its consumption, “so far the average contribution per home does not exceed 1,500 euros.”
More than 64 members/families are part of the cooperative, and in the coming days the membership process will be opened outside the Cuadrilla de Montaña Alavesa and the project will be extended to small merchants, self-employed people and farms in the first sector. as well as in a progressive way for Vitoria-Gasteiz.
The General Deputy of Araba, Ramiro González and the Minister of Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment, Arantxa Tapia, inaugurated the solar park together with the President of the Alavesa Mountain Group, Eduardo Ruiz de Loizaga, the Mayor of Arraia-Maeztu, Gemma Ramos , the General Director of the Basque Energy Agency, Iñigo Ansola, and the Promotion Director of KREAN, Asier Etxabe, who showed the technical details of the plant and the energy production flow.
Source: EITB
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