Zelestra And Graphic Packaging International Inaugurate The 50.4 MWdc José Cabrera Solar Plant In Guadalajara, Spain

• The inauguration event was attended by Alipio García Rodríguez, Director General of Energy Transition for Castilla-La Mancha, Rubén García Ortega, Provincial Delegate for Sustainable Development in Guadalajara, and Sergio de la Fuente Gumiel, First Deputy Mayor of Pastrana
• The 50.4 MWdc José Cabrera solar plant will generate 83 GWh of clean energy per year
• The project is one of three in Spain enabled via a long-term PPA with Graphic Packaging International, adding over 100 MWdc of new solar power capacity — with 70% of the output linked to renewable electricity guarantees of origin for Graphic Packaging

Zelestra, a global, multi-technology, customer-focused renewable energy company, and Graphic Packaging, a global leader in sustainable consumer packaging, officially marked the start of operations of the 50.4 MWdc José Cabrera solar photovoltaic plant today, 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 decarbonize the system, but also to attract investment and create jobs. In 2024, renewable energy projects mobilized €578 million 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.”

Luis Alvargonzález, Spain Country Manager of Zelestra, commented: “The successful delivery of José Cabrera is another major milestone for Zelestra in Spain and reinforces our commitment to developing projects that support the transition to clean, reliable and competitive energy across the country. Thanks to the sustainability commitments of our customer, Graphic Packaging, a total of three new solar projects will soon be delivering clean energy for decades to come, helping Spain to reach its clean energy targets. The Castilla La Mancha region will also be vital in the successful delivery of these targets. In total, we now have nearly 600 MW of projects operating in the region, and we are very grateful for the support renewable energy receives from the authorities here.”

Zelestra has a project portfolio of more than 6 GW in Spain, which includes over 1.1 GW of projects contracted, in construction, or operational. The company was recently ranked among the top 10 sellers of clean energy to corporate customers globally by BloombergNEF (BNEF).