- The solar energy produced at Muelle Príncipe Felipe in Valencia and the port of Gandia has reduced the Port Authority of Valencia’s carbon footprint
- The sun has shone for longer than expected in Valencia and Gandia between May and July. This has led to the photovoltaic installations at Valenciaport producing more electrical energy than first thought
- The infrastructure at Muelle Príncipe Felipe produced 121% more than expected, while Gandia produced 125% more
- The new photovoltaic plant on top of the Valencia Terminal Europa (VTE) vehicle silo is almost finished and should be up and running before the end of the year
- Valenciaport’s three solar installations have been subsidised by the EU and the Spanish government
València, 11 September 2024.- Valenciaport’s solar power generation facilities have been working at full capacity during the summer months. From their start-up at the beginning of the year until July, in addition to generating a higher production than initially planned, they have enabled the emission of 106.78 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere to be reduced.
Valenciaport currently has two photovoltaic plants in full operation (one in the port of Valencia and the other in the port of Gandia) and before the end of the year a third installation will come into operation in Valencia. The three infrastructures are part of the decarbonisation objectives of the Port Authority of Valencia (PAV) which aim to achieve zero emissions in the coming years.
The number of solar hours recorded in the province of Valencia in the period between May and July has exceeded the usual average, a fact that has favoured the production of more photovoltaic energy than expected. As a whole, the solar panels located at the Príncipe Felipe Dock have registered production figures up to July of 1,446.88 MWh, which is 121% above the forecast.
The Príncipe Felipe Dock installation, built on the breakwater separating the COSCO terminal and the Yacht Club, consists of 2,990 panels of 460 Wp, which means a total installed power of 1,375.4 Wp and a production capacity of 2,296 MWh/year. This infrastructure was connected to the grid in a test period in December and has been operating at full capacity since January 2024.
This photovoltaic plant will soon be joined by another solar park on the roof of the Valencia Terminal Europa (VTE) vehicle silo/warehouse – 90% of the work is already completed. Between them, they will produce a fifth of the electrical energy required by the Valencian port area.
The completion of the construction phase of this second plant is scheduled for next October and it will begin work on test electricity generation tests in the last quarter of 2024. In total, of the 10,773 modules of which this project consists, 10,620 of 545 Wp have already been installed with an installed power of 5,787.90 Wp, which will be able to produce around 8,385 MWh/year.
Gandia, a self-sufficient port
The Gandia solar installation has also had more hours of sunshine and has produced 125% more since 18 January to date. This infrastructure is made up of 1,620 panels of 460 Wp, so that the installed power is 745.20 Wp, being able to produce 1,006 Mwh/year.
This photovoltaic power plant is located on the roof of shed 4, with a floor area of 4,500 square metres, and has electrical energy storage equipment. The three solar installations have been financed by the European Union’s Next Generation funds and the Spanish Government’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.