Iberdrola builds 55 MW hybrid solar plant in Cuenca: project key points

Key data

The General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines has authorized Iberdrola Renovables Castilla-La Mancha, SAU to construct the photovoltaic module called Maza Hybrid Installation, with an installed capacity of 51.315 MW, in the municipality of Campillo de Altobuey (Cuenca). The resolution, dated February 18, 2026 and published in the BOE on April 17, 2026, also includes authorization for the necessary evacuation infrastructure and expressly declares the public utility of the installation.

The key to the project is its hybrid nature: the new solar plant will be integrated with the PE Maza wind farm, which already has 49.5 MW of installed capacity and its own grid connection infrastructure. The result is a hybrid installation with a combined capacity of 55 MW.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution grants three authorizations in a single administrative act:

• Administrative authorization for construction of the Maza Hybrid Installation photovoltaic module (51.315 MW).
• Authorization of the evacuation infrastructure necessary to connect the new solar plant to the grid.
• Declaration of public utility of the installation, which expedites the processing of urban permits and, where applicable, forced expropriation procedures for land necessary for the project.

Hybridization consists of sharing the grid connection point and the existing evacuation infrastructure of the PE Maza wind farm with the new photovoltaic installation. This means that it is not necessary to build a new evacuation line from scratch, which reduces costs and execution timelines.

Economic and operational impact

For the renewable sector, this resolution has three direct operational implications:

• Optimization of existing infrastructure: By hybridizing with PE Maza, Iberdrola leverages the already amortized evacuation infrastructure of the wind farm, avoiding investment in a new connection line. This model reduces the cost per installed MW and accelerates commissioning timelines.
• Improved grid connection point efficiency: Hybridization allows maximizing the use of the grid access point, since solar and wind have complementary generation profiles (solar generates during the day, wind can generate at night or on cloudy days), reducing the hours when the connection point is underutilized.
• Declaration of public utility as an execution lever: This declaration is not a minor formality. It allows Iberdrola to expedite obtaining municipal and regional permits, and enables forced expropriation procedures if any landowner does not reach a voluntary agreement. For the promoter, this reduces the risk of project blockage due to third-party opposition.

The project is part of the objectives of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC), which establishes installed renewable capacity targets for 2030. Each authorized hybrid MW contributes to those objectives with less impact on the transmission network than a new installation with its own evacuation.

Who does it affect?

• Iberdrola Renovables Castilla-La Mancha, SAU: project holder, with the obligation to execute construction in accordance with the terms of the authorization.
• Promoters of wind farms with available evacuation capacity: this project is a replicable model. Companies with wind farms underutilized at their connection point can explore hybridization with solar as a growth path without new infrastructure.
• Municipality of Campillo de Altobuey (Cuenca): affected by the territorial implementation of the project, both in urban planning terms and local economic impact (construction employment, income from property tax on industrial installations).
• Renewable energy sector in Spain: the resolution consolidates the hybridization model as the preferred route for adding renewable capacity to the system with less pressure on the transmission network.
• Landowners in the area of influence: the declaration of public utility directly affects them in case their plots are necessary for the installation or its evacuation infrastructure.

Practical example

A renewable promoter operating a 50 MW wind farm in Castilla-La Mancha with a grid connection point of 60 MW contracted capacity detects that, during hours of low wind production (midday in summer), its connection point is underutilized. Following the model of the Maza Hybrid Installation, it can request authorization to add a photovoltaic module of up to the available capacity at that connection point.

The result: generates more energy with the same evacuation infrastructure, without needing a new line or a new grid access point. The declaration of public utility, if obtained, also allows it to expedite procedures with landowners where it will install the panels. This is exactly the scheme that Iberdrola has executed with PE Maza and the new Maza Hybrid Installation in Campillo de Altobuey.

What should companies do now?

1. If you are a renewable promoter with operating wind farms: analyze the available capacity at your grid connection points. If there is margin between installed wind capacity and contracted evacuation capacity, hybridization with solar is a growth path with lower infrastructure investment.
2. If you own land in the Campillo de Altobuey area: check if your plot may be affected by the evacuation infrastructure route of the Maza Hybrid Installation. The declaration of public utility enables expropriations; it is preferable to negotiate a voluntary agreement before that procedure begins.
3. If you advise companies in the energy sector: incorporate the hybridization model in your analysis of growth options for clients with renewable assets.