IBERDROLA, through its subsidiary IBERDROLA RENOVABLES, has been awarded the contract to develop three wind farms in Asturias with a total capacity of 80 MW, in a tendering process organised by the regional government.

These projects include a 40 megawatt (MW) wind farm at Regodeseves, Villanueva de Oscos, a 32 MW wind farm in Pico Cuiredo, between the towns of Boal and Illano, and an 8 MW wind farm at Pico Daviella, Taramundi. These wind farms will be the first facilities developed by IBERDROLA RENOVABLES in Asturias.

Around 50 people will be employed during the construction phase, and some 20 permanent jobs will be created locally for the operation and maintenance of the facilities.

IBERDROLA’s management team will meet this weekend in Oviedo for one of its regular meetings to discuss the Group's performance. The meeting will be attended by the Chairman, Ignacio Galán, and the company’s senior managers.

IBERDROLA’s management team’s decision to meet in Asturias reflects the Group’s commitment to the autonomous region, in which it is developing a number of projects.

The company’s activities in Asturias have generated business worth over €840 million from 2002 to 2009. 71% (€600 million) of this amount corresponds to purchases from over 300 Asturian companies (€130 million in 2009 alone) and a further 19% relates to a €155 million investment in the construction of a desulphurisation plant at the Lada IV thermal power plant.

Asturian companies in the network of suppliers

The tax impact of the company’s activities in Asturias in this period totalled €15 million. IBERDROLA has prioritised the incorporation of Asturian companies in its network of suppliers, not just for the local provision of goods and services but also for the Group’s national and international activities.

IBERDROLA employs 147 people in Asturias and has 500 MW of operating capacity in the region. Generating output in the autonomous community in 2009 totalled 670 million kWh, with sales of 3.9 billion kWh, a 31% share of the Asturian market. The company has 13 substations, 18 transformer stations and 135 kilometres of power distribution lines.