Today, the Regional Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, Ángeles Vázquez, and Naturgy’s delegate for Renewable Projects in Galicia, María Landeira, paid a visit to the Monte Redondo wind farm in Vimianzo, where the current 66 wind turbines will be replaced with 11 state-of-the-art machines, all while maintaining the same installed capacity of 49.5 MW. The Director General of Renewable Energies and Climate Change, Paula Uría, and the Head of Wind, Solar and Cogeneration Operations, Irma González, as well as Naturgy’s delegate in Galicia, Alberto Suárez, also took part in the visit.
At the end of April, Naturgy began work to dismantle the existing wind turbines, replace them with more modern and efficient machines, restore the natural environment of the areas previously occupied by the wind turbines, and modernise the electrical substation. The work is scheduled for completion in mid-2026.
The Monte Redondo wind farm repowering project involves an investment of 65 million euros and is financed by the EU’s NextGenerationEU package as part of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, through the Spanish Institute for Energy Savings and Diversification’s (IDAE) Circular Repowering Programme. It will significantly reduce the visual and environmental impact of the facility, while also taking advantage of existing infrastructures such as the evacuation systems or part of the buildings. The new configuration will increase annual production to 200 GWh, equivalent to the electricity consumption of approximately 57,000 households.
A substantial proportion of the materials obtained in the dismantling process will be recycled and recovered. More than 8 million kilos will be managed in Monte Redondo, of which 80% is carbon steel, 18% is cement and aggregates, and 1% is industrial oils. The remainder is mainly made up of copper, aluminium, wood and PVC. Only a very small fraction, around 6% consisting of glass fibre and SF6, will be treated by authorised waste collectors in accordance with current legislation.
With a history spanning more than 25 years, the Monte Redondo wind farm has been harmoniously integrated into its surroundings since its beginnings. The repowering now reinforces its positive impact on the local economy by directly benefiting the nine land areas that are owned and managed by the local community known as Montes Vecinales en Mano Común, which have reached a collaboration agreement with Naturgy based on consensus, cooperation and mutual understanding.
Naturgy’s delegate for Renewable Projects in Galicia, María Landeira, stated that “the repowering of wind farms is a key element of our renewable growth strategy in Galicia. It allows us to generate more clean energy with fewer, more modern and efficient wind turbines, reducing the visual impact of farms in harmony with the surrounding environment, as we have done for more than 25 years. Galicia is a strategic area for Naturgy due to the enormous potential for wind energy and our strong ties with this region, where we will continue to promote projects that contribute to the energy transition”.
In addition to Monte Redondo, Naturgy is carrying out two other repowering projects in Galicia. The 81 old wind turbines in As Somozas will be replaced with 9 new ones to maintain an installed capacity of 49.67 MW and produce an estimated 168 GWh per year, equivalent to the consumption of about 48,500 households. The Novo wind farm (Valdoviño, San Sadurniño and Narón) will go from 25 to 5 wind turbines, maintaining its installed capacity of 18.75 MW and generating some 50.5 GWh per year, enough to supply around 14,500 homes.
Naturgy was one of the first to undertake wind repowering projects in Galicia at the Cabo Vilano wind farm (Camariñas), where in 2016 it replaced 22 wind turbines with just 2 new ones to significantly improve production and reduce the facility’s visual impact.
With this new facility, Naturgy reaffirms its commitment to Galicia and works towards its aim of promoting the transition of the Galician economy towards a sustainable, cleaner and more efficient energy and economic model.
Commitment to Galicia
Naturgy is committed to increasing renewable generation in Spain and especially in Galicia, a region with which the company has a particularly special link. Due to its geographical location and orography, Galicia is an optimal location for this type of facility.
As part of its commitment to renewable energy sources, Naturgy has an installed capacity of 1,847 MW and currently operates 18 wind farms (488 MW), 16 hydroelectric plants (1,253 MW) and 9 mini-hydropower plants (106 MW in Galicia). The company also manages the Sabón combined cycle power plant in Arteixo, A Coruña.
Naturgy is the leading gas and electricity company in Galicia. UFD, Naturgy’s electricity distributor, serves nearly 1.6 million supply points located in 285 Galician municipalities through a distribution network measuring over 60,000 kilometres. Naturgy is also Galicia’s leading natural gas distributor through its subsidiary Nedgia Galicia. As a result, the company has a distribution network that encompasses more than 4,000 kilometres and around 346,000 supply points in 211 Galician municipalities.
In terms of marketing, Naturgy has 214,000 gas customers and 1.3 million electricity customers, representing a market share of around 80% in Galicia. The company has more than thirty customer service centres in the region.