The start-up of photovoltaic plants for self-consumption is another of Ence’s determined bets for sustainability, innovation and the development of renewable energies in Spain. The installation of this type of plant is an innovative solution that reduces the auxiliary consumption of the operating facilities, thus increasing energy eco-efficiency and the company’s environmental commitment.
The first example of Ence’s sustainable growth strategy is in Huelva, where a photovoltaic plant with 820 kWp of installed power saves just over 1,477,000 kWh per year in the energy consumption of the Huelva complex, which also means avoiding emission 462 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. Now, the company is developing another similar plant at its biomass plant in Mérida. It is expected to be commissioned next March and will be able to generate more than 500,000 kWh per year.
As an added advantage, the self-consumption plants proposed by Ence take advantage of part of the infrastructure of their work centers, such as the canopies of the staff parking lots. Thus, the visual and operational integration of photovoltaic technology is achieved, and the installation of charging points for electric cars is possible.
These innovative solutions consolidate Ence as a clear reference for self-consumption technology and renewable energies in Spain, and are part of the company’s sustainability strategy, which is firmly committed to the Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations .
Among its growth and improvement projects, these self-consumption plants are joined by other projects to develop renewable energy generation plants, which will involve an investment of 475 million euros. Specifically, 140 MW in four generation plants with agroforestry biomass in Almería, Ciudad Real and Córdoba, and 240 MW in four photovoltaic plants in Huelva, Seville and Jaén. In total, the eight new production centers will increase the company’s energy production by 1,620 GWh / year, enough for the annual electricity needs of more than 440,000 homes and which will save 500,000 tons of CO2 per year.
Biomass generation deserves special mention for its environmental contribution, since being the only manageable renewable technology (therefore, without meteorological dependencies), it stands as a key factor in the necessary just transition towards a decarbonised energy model.
Other strategies that mark Ence’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals are the direct and sustainable management of forest masses that absorb CO2 from the atmosphere; the biodegradable nature of products made from cellulose; or the company’s commitment to innovation, in addition to the continuous implementation of the Best Available Technologies in its plants and in all its growth projects. Along these lines, Ence has set itself the goal of reducing scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions per ton of pulp produced in its biofactories by 25% by 2025 compared to 2018.
Ence is the leading company in Spain in the production of renewable energy with agricultural and forestry biomass. The company has a total generation capacity of 266 MW in its renewable energy plants. To this are added 112 MW in its cogeneration and generation plants with biomass and lignin from its cellulose biofactories, which makes them self-sufficient, contributing to the electricity grid the production surplus.
