The company Aixeindar, made up of Iberdrola España and the Basque Energy Agency (EVE), continues to make progress in the construction of the Labraza wind farm in Álava, a project that will mark the return of new wind power installations to the Basque Country after almost two decades without developments of this type.
The infrastructure will have an installed capacity of 40 MW and will become the first wind farm to come online in the Basque Country since 2006. The project also incorporates a citizen participation model through the Gure Haizea crowdlending initiative, designed to allow residents to invest directly in the facility.
A key project for the electrification of the Basque Country
The Labraza wind farm will produce approximately 99,679 MWh of renewable energy annually, enough to power roughly 30,000 homes. It will also prevent the emission of about 16,300 tons of CO2 each year.
With this new capacity, Euskadi will increase its installed wind power by 26%, reinforcing regional objectives linked to the energy transition and the reduction of external dependence on electricity.
The facility is located in the Álava municipality of Oyón and includes the commissioning of eight wind turbines, integrated within a strategy aimed at expanding renewable generation in the Basque territory.
Citizen participation and local economic return
One of the most important elements of the project is the crowdfunding model promoted through Gure Haizea. This mechanism will allow local residents to become investors in the wind farm, strengthening the link between energy infrastructure and local economic development.
The project involves an investment of approximately €59 million and includes the participation of companies linked to the industrial and energy supply chain. According to the developers, the project will also generate economic activity in the area through jobs associated with the construction and operation phases.
In addition to the industrial impact, Aixeindar has incorporated specific measures for environmental integration and biodiversity protection with the aim of minimizing the impact on the natural environment.
The Basque Country accelerates the development of renewable energies
The development of the Labraza wind farm is part of the Basque energy strategy to increase the weight of renewable energies in regional electricity generation.
Over the past few years, the Basque Country has intensified its search for projects capable of strengthening its clean energy production capacity and improving its energy independence. In this context, the combination of institutional investment and citizen participation emerges as a tool to boost public acceptance of renewable energy infrastructure.
The wind farm complex is scheduled to become operational in the coming months and will reinforce Labraza as one of the most important energy projects currently under development in northern Spain.
Source and photo: Iberdrola