Iberdrola has commissioned its first solar park in Germany, marking a key expansion of its onshore renewable energy business in the country.
The 80,000-panel Boldekow solar park, located in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, will supply more than 53GWh of renewable electricity annually to Vodafone Germany, according to Iberdrola.
The power will be used to run around 3,000 Vodafone mobile towers across the country under a long-term supply agreement.
Iberdrola said the project will save approximately 20,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year, contributing to Vodafone’s long-term decarbonisation strategy.
“This is another building block to expand our exclusively renewable energy offering in Germany,” said Felipe Montero, CEO of Iberdrola Deutschland.
Montero said the company chose Mecklenburg-Vorpommern for its “strong solar radiation” and the region’s “openness and support for such a sustainable project.”
The solar park covers an area equivalent to 65 football fields and is expected to operate for at least 30 years.
Marcel de Groot, CEO of Vodafone Germany, said: “Digitalisation can only be truly effective if we make it more sustainable ourselves. That’s why we’re now relying even more on solar energy for mobile communications in Germany.”
Vodafone has been sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable sources since 2020 and said the Iberdrola deal supports long-term planning for sustainable energy use.
Construction of the Boldekow park involved partner companies including Solarpro, Sungrow, P&Q, and 4Energy.
Iberdrola said the project will also provide millions of euros in property tax revenues for the local municipality over its lifetime, with local contractors engaged during construction.
“The transformation of energy supply must be rooted in the regions,” said Montero. “The energy transition will only succeed if we think of all technologies together. Investments in offshore and onshore require clear processes and a reliable regulatory framework.”
Iberdrola is already the largest offshore wind operator in the German Baltic Sea, with projects including Wikinger, Baltic Eagle and Windanker.
Pictured: (left to right) Holger Vogel, Mayor Boldekow, Michael Jungwirth, Member of the Executive Committee Vodafone Germany, Nigar Gurbanli, Head of Structuring Iberdrola Germany and Consuelo Morales Gomez, Head of Onshore Iberdrola Germany.