Zelestra, a global, multi-technology, customer-focused renewable energy company, and Graphic Packaging, officially marked the start of operations of the 50.4 MWdc José Cabrera solar photovoltaic plant recently, located in Pastrana, Guadalajara.
The project is one of three in Spain being delivered as part of long-term vPPA with Graphic Packaging, with Socovos II (Albacete, 33 MWdc) recently fully operational, and Villamañán (León, 19 MWdc) due to come online by year end.
The event was attended by the Director General of Energy Transition of Castilla-La Mancha, Alipio García Rodríguez, the Provincial Delegate for Sustainable Development in Guadalajara, Rubén García Ortega, and the First Deputy Mayor of Pastrana, Sergio de la Fuente Gumiel.
The Director General of Energy Transition for Castilla-La Mancha, Alipio García Rodríguez, stated, “Castilla-La Mancha’s leadership in the development of renewable energies in Spain makes our region attractive for reference projects such as the one inaugurated today. Our government’s commitment to accelerating the energy transition based on clean energy by promoting public-private partnerships is not only allowing us to decarbonise the system, but also to attract investment and create jobs. In 2024, renewable energy projects mobilised €578m and created 3,500 direct jobs thanks to the sector.”
The José Cabrera site will generate an estimated 83 GWh of clean energy per year. The electricity generation could power the equivalent of 24,000 Spanish homes annually. The clean energy generated will avoid the emission of more than 11,500 tons of CO2 each year.
The project’s environmental plan has delivered a range of initiatives aimed at enhancing and preserving local biodiversity and ecology. As well as the installation of nesting boxes and shelters, monitoring programs for large birds of prey and habitat improvements for endangered steppe birds have been implemented. Additionally, vegetation along the banks of the Tajo River has been restored, and a vegetation screen with native species has been created.
The project has supported local employment by hiring staff for environmental monitoring, operations, and maintenance of the project, contributing to the economic and social development of the area. Close to 200 people were employed during the construction phase, contributing to local job creation.
“Working with Zelestra, we’ve accelerated our transition to renewable energy in Europe by bringing two solar parks online and advancing a third,” said Elodie Bugnicourt, sustainability director international at Graphic Packaging. “Getting the guarantees of origins for a significant share of the output from these projects will increase our procured renewable electricity in EMEA to nearly 70% and reduce greenhouse gases emissions from our EMEA packaging manufacturing operations by about half — a significant step on our journey toward a low-carbon future.”
