20 MAY 2023

We install 1,234 beehives in renewable facilities

  • The installation of beehives in photovoltaic plants turns these spaces into very useful places to generate pure and highly valued honey, free of herbicides.
  • This type of action is part of the Convive Programme, in which Iberdrola contributes to the integration of the facilities into the territory and the landscape.

Every 20 May, tribute is paid to bees. On this date, declared World Bee Day by the United Nations, their work as pollinators is recognised. Ninety per cent of flowering plants, 75 per cent of the world's food crops and 35 per cent of the world's agricultural land depend on bees, as do other insects and animals

Bees contribute directly to food security and are indispensable for conserving biodiversity. Iberdrola is aware of this and continues to make progress in its project to protect the wealth of species around its photovoltaic plants. Iberdrola has just installed 450 new "solar hives" at its Barcience plant in the province of Toledo.

In fact, the company has welcomed around 60 million bees to its photovoltaic installations since the start of this initiative. The company has introduced a total of 1,234 hives in some of its main solar projects: 105 hives in Núñez de Balboa; 355 in Campo Arañuelo I, II and III; 42 in Ceclavín; 162 in El Andévalo and 120 in El Romeral and Olmedilla.

The installation of beehives in photovoltaic plants protects the bee species and, at the same time, makes these spaces very useful for generating pure and highly valued honey, free of herbicides. It also provides beekeepers with safe, theft-free spaces.

This type of action is part of the Convive Programme, in which Iberdrola contributes to the integration of facilities into the territory and landscape and promotes their contribution to biodiversity and their environmental impact.

In addition, the honey produced at Iberdrola's plants is donated to charitable associations in the region. This was the case with the honey produced at the Núñez de Balboa photovoltaic plant (Badajoz), where 70 jars of honey were donated to the women's association in the town of Usagre and to the new municipal retirement home.

The solar honey from the photovoltaic plant in Andévalo, Spain, was donated to associations in the area, which used it to make traditional and artisan sweets that were sold at charity markets. The funds raised went entirely to refugees from Ukraine, the Food Bank and Caritas. Likewise, the honey produced at the Campo Arañuelo photovoltaic plant in Cáceres was donated to those affected by the volcano on La Palma through the money raised from the sale of artisan sweets produced by local women's associations.

Iberdrola reaffirms its firm commitment to sustainability and the protection of nature. On 9 November, it announced its Biodiversity Plan 2030, whereby it undertakes to ensure that its activities result in a net positive balance with biodiversity. This commitment affects all activities: construction, operation and decommissioning of assets. Therefore, nature protection and conservation action will be substantially increased in the coming years with more ambitious mitigation projects and compensation and restoration actions.