Iberdrola, Vodafone partner to deliver clean energy

Iberdrola, one of the world’s largest renewable energy companies, and Vodafone, the largest pan-European and African telecoms company, have signed new clean energy power purchase agreements (PPA) in Spain and Portugal, adding to a recent agreement in Germany.

The companies have also pledged to work together to look for new PPA opportunities and sustainability initiatives in Europe.

In total the PPAs will see Iberdrola provide Vodafone with 410 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of clean, renewable photovoltaic (PV) solar energy per year in the three countries, helping to accelerate Vodafone’s net-zero journey whilst increasing its energy security.

The renewable energy from the three solar plants is comparable to the annual electricity demands of approximately 117,000 homes.

For Vodafone Portugal, the PPA will provide the energy from the newly built Velilla solar PV plant located in Palencia, Spain.

A further PPA agreement for Vodafone Spain will deliver 280 GWh per year from the newly constructed Cedillo PV plant located in Cáceres, Spain.

For Vodafone Germany, a PPA was agreed last week to supply the full energy produced from the Boldekow PV plant, Iberdrola’s first solar project to be developed in the country. The plant will have a total capacity of 56 MWp and will be built in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. It will be fully operational by 2024.

Additionally, in line with the aims of both companies to further reduce their carbon footprint and engage in the energy transition, Iberdrola has installed more than 140 electric vehicle charging points in the main facilities operated by Vodafone in Spain, as well as providing a service to manage and optimize their operation.

Aitor Moso, Global Clients Director of Iberdrola, said: “Iberdrola and Vodafone are both committed to connecting customers and communities to a cleaner and smarter future. As a global developer of clean energy, we have the projects around the world that allow us to support multinational companies like Vodafone who are committed to sustainability right across their business operations. Agreements with progressive businesses like Vodafone are increasingly important in allowing new renewables projects to be built, and we now look forward to accelerating the delivery of these solar PV plants.”

Joakim Reiter, Vodafone Group Chief External & Corporate Affairs Officer, said: “These agreements across Europe underline Vodafone’s commitment to ensure our customers will continue to benefit from electricity purchased 100% from renewable sources. They also provide Vodafone with improved energy security and long-term price certainty as we work towards achieving net-zero in our operations by 2030.”

“To meet the agreed net zero targets in line with the Paris Agreement, the world faces the daunting task of ensuring the almost 90% of our future electricity needs globally are generated from non-carbon and renewable sources. Today’s announcement is a great example of how telecoms operators like Vodafone can help accelerate this essential transition of countries’ energy mix by becoming anchor tenants for new renewable power deployments.”

Securing an off taker for the clean electricity production allows Iberdrola to fast forward construction and commissioning of the projects. This relationship reinforces Iberdrola’s strategy to enter into bilateral agreements that promote the supply of power at competitive and stable prices to large customers who are committed to clean and sustainable consumption.

The two companies will also discuss the possibility of additional PPAs to help with Vodafone’s ambitious climate plans in Europe, as well as considering a range of other sustainability projects to decarbonize its operations and meet its environmental goals that could be delivered in the future.