Full commercial operation achieved at Zelestra’s Villamañán solar plant in León, Spain

o   The Villamañán project (19 MWdc) is the third solar plant in Spain to be delivered as part of a clean energy partnership with Graphic Packaging International, supported by a long-term vPPA.

o   Together with the José Cabrera project (50 MWdc) and Socovos II (33 MWdc), over 100 MWdc of new clean energy has been delivered in Spain as part of the partnership.

o   Delivered by Zelestra’s internal EPC division, Villamañán will generate 28,700 MWh of clean energy a year, avoiding over 4,900 tons of CO₂.

Zelestra, a global, multi-technology, customer-focused renewable energy company, has announced full commercial operations at the 19 MWdc Villamañán solar project in León, Spain.

The project is one of three in Spain that has been delivered by Zelestra’s internal EPC division, as part of a long-term vPPA with Graphic Packaging International, a global leader in sustainable consumer packaging.

Both the José Cabrera plant (Guadalajara, 50 MWdc) and Socovos II (Albacete, 33MWdc) are already operational – meaning over 100 MWdc of new clean energy capacity has been delivered as part of the partnership.

Villamañán will generate 28,700 MWh of clean energy a year, avoiding over 4,900 tons of CO₂. Construction supported over 80 jobs, and the project also saw the creation of a new perimeter vegetative screen composed of native species to enhance the local landscape.

“Bringing Villamañán online caps the efforts to deliver new solar capacity across three projects embedded in our VPPA partnership with Zelestra, which were built at remarkable speed,” said Elodie Bugnicourt, sustainability director, international, at Graphic Packaging International. “Our customers are increasingly focused on reducing their carbon footprint, and it’s rewarding to see this clean electricity enabling a more sustainable packaging value chain.”

Luis Alvargonzalez, Zelestra’s country manager in Spain, said: “This milestone at Villamañán was made possible by our innovative partnership with Graphic Packaging International and our shared commitment to accelerating the energy transition. By delivering more than 100 MW of new clean energy capacity, we are not only supporting our customer’s decarbonisation goals, but also creating green jobs, investing in local communities, and contributing to a more resilient, sustainable Spanish economy.”

Spain is one of Zelestra’s key global markets. The company has around 1.1 GW of solar and BESS capacity contracted with customers, and a wider pipeline of more than 7 GW.