Vidrala has officially inaugurated its solar plant in Llodio.
The Llodio plant is one of the largest industrial self-consumption photovoltaic installations in the Basque Country, with 7 MW of installed capacity covering 30,000m2 of industrial rooftop.
The new facility will generate 100% renewable electricity for the plant's self-consumption.
It will also increase the use of renewable energy in the production process at the Álava plant, which manufactures more than 500 million glass containers annually, and reduce CO₂ emissions by 1,909 tonnes per year.
Mikel Jauregi, the Basque government’s Minister for Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, as well as Irantzu Allende, the Deputy Minister for Energy Transition, visited and inaugurated the plant today (21 July).
Vidrala invested €3.2 million in the plant and has received a 25% grant under the Basque Government's self-consumption support programme.
Raúl Gómez, CEO of Vidrala, said: “This is a crucial moment for Basque industry.
“We are facing challenges on multiple fronts, with the most pressing being industrial unrest and labour absenteeism, increasing regulatory burdens, and the energy cost crisis resulting from the situation in the Middle East.
“Now is the time to act.
“Industry needs support.
“Progress towards the energy sovereignty we all seek will not come without effort.
“We must join forces, raise public awareness and promote, both in Spain and across Europe, the relaxation of poorly designed regulations that have created competitive disadvantages compared with other major regions of the world.
“We must also remain realistic and pragmatic: environmental sustainability can become a competitive advantage, but it requires greater financial commitment.
“Today, more than ever, we face investment decisions that will define our future.
“It is not easy and the responsibility is significant, but Vidrala will never lack ambition or long-term vision.”
