Endesa Is to Install a High-Yield Photovoltaic Power Plant at Alvinesa Natural Ingredients’ Site

Alvinesa Natural Ingredients has signed a contract with Endesa for the building of a photovoltaic solar energy plant at its site in Daimiel, Ciudad Real. The installation will have a peak power of 2500 kW, and will have the very latest technology: high-yield polycrystalline solar panels. It will be attached to the factory the firm has on the El Campillo industrial estate. The investment will be some two million euros in total, and it is expected that, once all the relevant permits have been secured, the plant will begin operating as soon as possible, before the year is out.

The signing of the contract at the headquarters of Alvinesa Natural Ingredients in Daimiel was attended by the Head of Endesa Energía, Juan José Muñoz, along with Jesús Cantarero, the CEO of Alvinesa. The guests also experienced the factory’s installations, and were given information about the various projects that Alvinesa is carrying out.

In Muñoz’s eyes, Endesa’s true mission is to support its customers with the best possible deal: “We have come together with Alvinesa to install photovoltaic energy plants for self-consumption at their factory, because our true mission, here at Endesa, is not simply to sell energy; it is to fully understand our customers’ needs, and help them to solve their energy needs as efficiently as possible. Being here in Daimiel represents an opportunity for growth in areas where we want to have a greater presence, both today and in the future”.

Jesús Cantarero, for his part, views the project as an opportunity for his factory: “The goal of the plant is for us to produce almost all the energy that we consume, because we work exclusively with our biomass for thermal energy production. With Endesa’s support, and as we are very committed to sustainability and to eco-friendly initiatives, we see an opportunity to produce at least 20-25% of the electricity we consume with solar technology”.

With this investment, Endesa’s position in relation to its customers means they are more sheltered from the ups and downs of the electricity market, as well as lessening the environmental impact of industrial activity.

All the electricity produced by the plant will be consumed internally by the factory, which has been operating for a number of years on the outskirts of Daimiel, producing natural ingredients extracted from grapes, including polyphenols, proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins, flavonoids or resveratrol, in addition to tartaric acid and alcohols. With this solar energy farm, Alvinesa will kill two birds with one stone: making a considerable saving on buying energy and providing part of its total consumption from renewable energies for an initial estimated period of 25 years.

From its facilities, which opened in 2015, Alvinesa exports product to over 15 countries, and stocks and sells grape pomaces from all over Spain.  With a team of 120 people, Alvinesa takes care of the whole of the production cycle, developing products for a range of industries such as wine and other drinks industries, food, the nutra-pharmaceutical industry, animal feeds, sanitary products and energy (biomass), amongst others.