TECHNICAL AREA Presentation

In the last year, the Galician Regional Autonomous Government ("Xunta de Galicia") has endorsed the development of renewable energies and, especially, wind energy developing the Galician Wind Plan.

Within this framework, the Regional Ministry of Innovation, Industry and Commerce has promoted the idea of creating a profitable wind farm with two original formative and informative objectives.

Sotavento Galicia, Plc, was founded in 1997 as a result of the project.

Sotavento Galicia, Plc. is made up three public companies which constitute 51% of its shared capital, The Galician Energy Institute-INEGA, SODIGA GALICIA, S.R.C. Plc., The Energy Diversity and Saving Institute (IDAE), and four private companies representing the Galician electricity sector (Endesa Cogeneración y Renovables, Enel Unión Fenosa Energías Especiales, Iberdrola Energías Renovables de Galicia and Energía de Galicia, Plc. Engasa).

Sotavento´s objective, according to the original idea is as well as the commercial explotation, the achievement of four objectives that could be hardly raised by private enterprise:

• Being the "showcase" of the different wind tecnologies present in Galicia
• Being a framework for the realization of I+D activities
• Formation and debate centre
• Centre of renewable energies spreading

Showcase farm

Sotavento wants to be a "showcase" farm, meaning that there are represented the different tecnologies of wind turbines established in Galicia.

This Wind Farm features a line of 24 wind turbines of the 5 different technologies established in Galician wind farms. There are 9 different models of machine.

Framework for activities of research and development

The farm, as an experimental wind farm where the different tecnologies of wind turbines existing in Galicia nowadays are present, is an ideal place for the development of I+D projects.

In order to carry out these actions, Sotavento has achieved first class technical resources and facilities.

The most relevant techical data are the following:

Number of wind turbines: 24

Technologies present: 5

Different machines: 9

Nominal power of the farm: 17,56 MW

Predicted annual production: 38.500 MWh

Waste line of 9 Km to the substation of Unión Fenosa in Mourela 132kV

Prevailing wind: southwest wind (sw) and Northeast. wind (N.E)

Annual average speed: + - 7m/s