The Talayuela II photovoltaic plant, in the province of Cáceres and owned by Statkraft, has become the 46th project to receive the Seal of Excellence in Sustainability from the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF), a distinction that highlights the company's work to build and operate a facility with the highest parameters of social and environmental integration and that develops the best practices of the circular economy.
The Talayuela II plant, inaugurated in January 2024 and located in the Cáceres municipality of the same name, has an installed capacity of 55.2 MWp and nearly 34 million euros have been allocated for its construction. This project generates clean energy to supply more than 34,000 homes thanks to the 84.80 photovoltaic modules installed on a 115-hectare plot of land.
The external audit, carried out by the company CERE (UL Solutions), which gives the green light to award the UNEF Seal of Excellence in Sustainability, has highlighted that Talayuela II avoids the emission of more than 21,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, thus contributing to meeting the decarbonisation objectives. It has also highlighted that, during the construction process, 90% of the waste generated has been recycled, which represents a milestone in terms of sustainability and the circular economy.
The award of the UNEF Seal also highlights that the project has activated the labour fabric of the area, since, during its construction, 200 jobs have been created. In addition, as part of Statkraft's commitment to local communities, companies have been involved and priority has been given to hiring local people: 69 residents of Talayuela have worked in the construction, while purchases from companies in the municipality exceed 350,000 euros.
In addition, the company has launched an Environmental Integration Plan, which develops programs such as planting a plant screen of native species along the fence, or building a 5,000 square meter pond to facilitate the reproduction of native birds in the area, such as the bee-eater and the sand martin.
This installation is the second one that Statkraft has built in this municipality of Cáceres, after the start-up of Talayuela Solar, which also holds this Seal of Excellence from UNEF. With 300 MW of installed power and numerous environmental measures deployed – more than 300 hectares dedicated to conservation, the creation of floating islands with vegetation to encourage the nesting of different species, the installation of roosts for birds or the construction of 25 shelters for reptiles – Talayuela Solar is a benchmark in the integration of renewable energy in the territory.
Talayuela II is the third photovoltaic installation, built and operated by Statkraft, to receive this recognition, following the award, last July, to the Malabrigo, Arenosas, La Guita and El Yarte plants, owned by TRIG and developed, built and operated by Statkraft in the province of Cádiz. These four installations, each with around 50 MW of installed capacity, generate clean energy to supply the average annual supply of more than 130,000 homes and represent an annual saving of around 124,000 tonnes of CO2 eq.
For the general director of the Spanish Photovoltaic Union, José Donoso, the “commitment of our sector is clear, it is not enough to generate renewable energy, we must do so in an integrated manner with the ecosystems and communities where we operate. Talayuela II follows the path of its neighbour Talayuela Solar and reinforces the commitment to the development of photovoltaics with the highest sustainability standards”.
For her part, Erica Morales, Head of Sustainability at Statkraft in Spain, stressed that: “This recognition consolidates Statkraft’s commitment to developing renewable projects that are not only excellent from a technical point of view, but are also fully integrated into the territory and the natural environment, positively impacting local communities and preserving biodiversity.”
