Ekienea, a company led by Iberdrola España, obtains preliminary government greenlight to build largest photovoltaic solar park in the Basque Country
- The renewable energy facility, driven by Ekienea, a company formed by Iberdrola España (75%), the Basque Government through the Basque Energy Agency (18%), the engineering firm KREAN, part of the Mondragón Corporation (5%) and the Provincial Council of Álava (2%) through Enargi, will be in Armiñón (Álava) and will have a total capacity of 125 megawatts (MW)
- The investment will amount to €90 million and will create 300 jobs at peak construction times. It will also include various projects to promote coexistence with biodiversity
On 22 December 2025, Ekienea, a company led by Iberdrola España, obtained prior governmental authorisation from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, which is a fundamental milestone for the project and consolidates its plans to start operations in 2027.
What will become the largest photovoltaic plant in the Basque Country is an initiative driven by Iberdrola España (75%) with the Basque Energy Agency (EVE), the Basque Government's energy agency (18%), Krean (Mondragón Corporation, 5%), and the Provincial Council of Álava (2%) through Enargi.
Ekienea, which will far exceed EKIAN (also located in Ribera Baja and inaugurated in 2020 with 24 MW of installed power) will be located in the municipality of Armiñón in Álava and will have a capacity of 125 megawatts (MW). The project has already been approved by the so-called ‘Special Plan’, enabling its implementation on non-developable land, and a favourable Environmental Impact Statement, issued last May.
The total investment planned for this photovoltaic project will be €90 million.
The Ekienea project will generate clean, local energy linked to industrial use for self-consumption and will produce around 155 GWh/year, equivalent to the consumption of around 45,000 households, reducing CO₂ emissions by around 15,500 tonnes a year and contributing to the Basque Country's decarbonisation and industrial competitiveness objectives .
It also falls within the scope of the Energy Transition and Climate Change Act, which aims to achieve climate neutrality in the Basque Country by 2050, and the Euskadi 2030 Industry Plan, which aims, within the Transformative Project ‘Development of Renewable Energy’, to promote 550 MW by 2028 in wind farms and solar photovoltaic installations.
The developers estimate that up to 300 jobs will be created during peak construction periods, as well as jobs for management and maintenance tasks, contributing to the economic development of the area.
Ekienea will cover 200 hectares, half of which will be occupied by the photovoltaic plant, and the other half by land set aside for environmental compensation and forest preservation.
Coexistence with biodiversity
Three ponds will also be created in areas to be determined in the wildlife corridor around the Lacorzana Lagoon, as well as shelters for herpetofauna (piles of stones, logs, etc.).
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