Himin-Solaer consortium and Alpiq enter into long-term PPA for Spanish PV plant

Madrid − A consortium led by Solaer Israel and Himin Solar, and Alpiq, a leading Swiss energy services provider and electricity producer in Europe, have entered into a physical long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) for the output of the 50 MWp solar project Alizarsun, located in Zaragoza, Spain.

Renewables are a growing trend

The solar project Alizarsun is located in Paracuellos del Jalón (Zaragoza) in Aragón, one of the leading regions in Spain for renewable assets development. With a capacity of approximately 50 MWp, the solar plant will have a renewable power output equivalent to the consumption of 25.000 Spanish households. The contract will start in 2021 and run for the next 10 years. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the order value.

“Executing this PPA with Alpiq midst COVID-19 times is a remarkable proof of the solar industry’s resilience and the power of trust and partnership in challenging times. Solaer and Himin are dedicated to increase their footprint in the Spanish renewable energy market with hundreds of MW to follow Alizarsun. PPA’s will remain the cornerstones of our projects, providing also economical sustainability – to us, our co-investors and funding partners”, says Alon Segev, at Solaer Israel.

Commitment to the Spanish market

“Alpiq is strongly committed to the Spanish market. We have a vocation for growth in Spain, where we remain very close to renewable producers and cogeneration plants offering tailor-made solutions to optimize their revenues and help them manage their risks, and on competitive gas and power supply. This PPA contract is a very relevant transaction for Alpiq in Spain, which remains one of the key European markets for Alpiq, even considering current COVID-19 circumstances”, says Guillermo Negro, Country Manager of Alpiq in Spain.

PPAs optimize planning security and risk management

Investments in new Renewable Energy Sources (RES) are currently growing structurally and significantly. Due to the noticeable recovery of forward prices as well as the increase in price volatility on the European markets the demand for long-term contracts (PPAs) is growing.

Alpiq is playing an essential role in facilitating the commercial integration of RES in the power market by managing all residual risks in the portfolio, serving needs of RES producers and consumers at the same time. With PPAs, both Alpiq and its partners increase their planning security and can minimise market risks. Alpiq's PPA solutions are tailor-made and take into account not only specific cost structures and geographical conditions, but also the growing customer requirements for risk management. Plant owners and operators benefit from direct marketing that is individually tailored to each plant. In Spain, Alpiq has already signed long term contracts for over 300MW of installed capacity.

About Solaer and Himin

Solaer is one of the most successful developers of photovoltaic power plants in Israel, with a current project pipeline of around 1.0 GW. The company specializes in locating untapped market segments and deploying an innovative development strategy ahead of market trends. Himin was established in 2007, in cooperation with Himin Solaer China. Since its foundation, Himin has opened branches in Italy, Chile and Argentina. To date, the company’s portfolio of developed, built and operated projects reaches a capacity of more than 500 MW. Both companies retain construction and operation capacities, maintaining the insight into technical trends, as well as streamlining processes and costs in their own developments. Besides the cooperation in Spain, the joint venture of Solaer and Himin is developing 800 MW of PV projects in Italy.

About Alpiq

Alpiq is a leading Swiss energy services provider and electricity producer in Europe. Alpiq offers its customers comprehensive and efficient services in the fields of energy generation and trading as well as energy optimisation. As an international energy trader, Alpiq is active on all major European markets with unique expertise in the field of flexibility management and origination. With a strong presence in Spain since 2010, Alpiq operates its own power generation facilities and offers solutions mainly oriented to the industrial sector such as the supply of power and gas, as well as market access and risk management, with a diversified customer base in industrial sectors such as chemistry, automotive, food, pulp and paper or ceramics.

The Alpiq Group has approximately 1300 employees and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland.

More information about Alpiq on www.alpiq.com