The photovoltaic plant will serve homes, shops, commercial establishments and SMEs in the area, as well as five recharging points for electric vehicles in the region

An information campaign will be launched in the coming weeks of May to publicize the initiative so that the Ayalese can join the cooperative

The photovoltaic plant of green energy kilometer 0 – Ekiola Aiara – will enter into operation this summer with a guaranteed annual production of 1,550 MWH/year, after having completed its construction on a plot located in the curves of Saratxo, in Amurrio, and once it has the relevant procedures and permits of the Ministry of Industry.

The plant has 2,064 panels of 610 Wp bifacials to offer service to homes, shops, establishments and SMEs of the region, and also recharge electric vehicles with ultra-fast chargers of 120 KW in five points (Laudio, Amurrio, Abuttditza/Buttdiza, Luiaondo and Okondo). Likewise, the cooperative partners have an APP to control and analyze consumption, prices, etc.

This renewable solar energy production plant, green, kilometer 0 is fruit of the public-private collaboration between the Basque Energy Agency EVE, Diputación Foral de Alava and the promoter engineering company Krean, integrated in the Mondragón Corporation.

Ekiola Aiara is hosting the incentive program for unique pilot projects of energy communities within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. With a total investment of 1.9 million euros, it has received European aid of 1.1 million euros, a circumstance that allows the contributions of the partners to enter the energy cooperative to be lower. To that deduction must be added the tax benefits that they can receive depending on each case.

For an average consumer of 2,200 kWh/year, the contribution to the cooperative is about 1,900 euros by each cooperative member to generate an annual energy equal to that consumed. This fulfills one of the fundamental principles of Ekiola, which is that the cooperatives are sovereign at 100% of the electricity demand in an annual period.

The estimated average price of Aiarako Ekiola’s energy will be approximately 30,00 €/MWh (charges, taxes and tolls excluded) in the first year (annual increase of the CPI) and the useful life of the project is estimated at 30 years, which will involve generating energy at a very attractive cost price in the long term.

Informative campaign for socialization

In recent months, a process of active listening has been carried out among the main agents of the region, such as the trade associations and hospitality establishments Izan Amurrio and the Association of Small Industrialists of Laudio Apill, Laudio Group, Aiara Industrial Lab, Aiaraldea Lanean, Amurrio Bidean and the ADR Zabaia. As well as a series of subsequent meetings to publicize the benefits of this project that pursues a transition towards decarbonization and self-supply with the active and direct commitment of society that bets on the zero kilometer and green and sustainable energy.

Once this phase is over, a broader information campaign is launched, open to all citizens, as well as to people with shops and businesses or agri-food facilities in the area, to invite them to join, participate and manage the new solar energy production plant for self-supply.

During Thursday, May 21 and Friday, May 22, coinciding with the celebration of the weekly market in the towns of Laudio and Amurrio, an information tent will be installed in the Aldai square (Laudio) and in the Juan Urrutia square (Amurrio) to disseminate and disseminate among the citizens the energy project for the region of Ayala.

There will also be two informative talks, the first, on Thursday, May 28 at the Catechesis building in Amurrio at 7:00 p.m. and the second, on Thursday, June 4 at the Casino de Laudio, at 7:00 p.m.  In them, the concrete data of the project will be exposed, what are its benefits, how they can join this energy community, what type of tax deductions they can benefit from, as well as to answer and solve questions and doubts.

To publicize all these actions in the municipalities of Alava, a campaign will be carried out on social networks and both the project and its socialization will be announced in the media of the region of Aiaraldea.

About EKIOLA Energia Sustapenak

Ekiola is an initiative launched with the impetus of the Basque Government, through the EVE, of the Mondragon Group with its Krean engineering, in addition to the Diputación de Araba, whose objective is to create energy communities in the cooperative model of the Basque Country, so that it is the citizens themselves who generate 100% of the electrical energy they need to meet their needs. In addition, the cooperative itself functions as a legal instrument to face the energy future according to its approaches, and its members do not have to change any aspect of their domestic electrical installation. The installation of the solar park has a guarantee of 30 years of operation and performance.

The EKIOLA model is aligned with the policies of the European Union, which has set as a goal that 32% of the energy consumed is of origin

renewable for the year 2030. Both self-consumption and the creation of energy communities are models to be adopted for the transition to another energy model. Within this framework, Ekiola has been created as an energy promotion society. Through this project, cooperative people will be owners and owners of the energy they generate; citizens will create, promote and consume their own energy.

Currently, in Álava there are three Ekiolas in operation:

  • Mendialdea,
  • Lautado
  • Gorbeialdea

and in summer the Ekiola Aiara will be operational.

For more information consult the website: www.ekiola.eus