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At the Andévalo photovoltaic plant, Iberdrola will team up with Tesela Natura to study how growing aromatic plants increases the quality of honey, which will then be marketed
Iberdrola installs beehives near photovoltaic projects to preserve biodiversity and help drive the circular economy
NI (2021-03-25) Iberdrola instala colmenas en proyectos renovables _ biodiversidad y economía circular_en - Introducing pollinators at renewable installations situated near agricultural land may improve crop performance
- The production of 100% renewable energy at Andévalo has allowed Heineken to produce sustainable beer at its factories in Spain in recent months
Iberdrola has installed 162 beehives at its Andévalo photovoltaic plant in Andalusia's Huelva province, with the aim of preserving biodiversity in the surroundings of its renewable developments and protecting species like bees, while at the same time moving forward in its strategy to decarbonise the economy. The initiative, undertaken alongside Tesela Natura, will also contribute to developing the circular economy, since as well as studying how growing aromatic plants increases honey quality, the honey will be available to buy from May, collected from the forest, eucalyptus, thousand flowers, thyme, rosemary and broom.
The project will also be rolled out at the company's other photovoltaic plants in Spain and will show how introducing pollinators at renewable installations situated close to agricultural land can improve crop performance. It will also demonstrate the importance of bee pollination to the stability of ecosystems.
At the Andévalo photovoltaic plant, bees are not exposed to pesticides, as weeds are controlled manually or by livestock. Bees pollinate more than 80% of the world's plants and more than 90 crop types. Currently, 75% of the food we eat depends on pollination.
Located in the town of Puebla de Guzmán, the photovoltaic plant has more than 150,000 solar panels and prevents more than 15,000 tonnes of CO2 being emitted into the atmosphere each year. The 100% renewable energy it produces has for months now contributed to decarbonising the beer making process at Heineken's four breweries in Spain.
Competitive, sustainable energy and environmental balance
Iberdrola has fully integrated the conservation of biological diversity of ecosystems into its strategy, showing that it is possible to effectively combine supplying competitive, clean and sustainable energy with environmental balance.
It plans to reach no net loss of biodiversity by 2030, and is committed to net positive impact in new infrastructure developments.
Iberdrola has carried out over 1,450 actions to protect biodiversity in the last three years, combining the installation of renewable projects with the conservation of biological diversity in ecosystems, preserving flora, fauna and natural heritage.
The company is aligned with meeting the sustainable development goals (SDGs) directly related to nature (SDGs 6, 13, 14 and 15) and works to promote economic and social development while respecting the environment.