Wind Farm Upgrade in Spain Achieves Near-Total Waste Recovery

Statkraft has completed the first phase of the Montes de Cierzo wind repowering project in Navarra, Spain, replacing 44 old turbines with 10 new ones, increasing the capacity to produce clean energy while reducing visual impacts and achieving almost full recycling and reuse of the old components.

Through repowering, the installed capacity of the Montes de Cierzo wind farm will rise by 50%, increasing from 60 MW to 90 MW, while annual energy generation is expected to double to around 300 GWh. The project will also incorporate battery storage, turning it into a hybrid system. Batteries with a capacity of 14.26 MW and a storage capacity of 28.51 MWh—capable of charging and discharging over two hours—will be added to enhance supply stability and help reduce price fluctuations. The Montes de Cierzo project highlights the advantages of community participation through co-investment models. It has grown into Spain’s largest citizen-backed investment initiative tied to a renewable energy project, with over 250 individuals—mostly from the Navarra region—collectively contributing €5 million. The wind farm is slated to complete its repowering and become fully operational by 2027.

The 60 MW Montes de Cierzo wind farm, located in Tudela, Navarra, was originally constructed in 2000. During the first phase of its upgrade, Statkraft, together with its contractor Lezama Demolitiones, completed dismantling work while ensuring that nearly all resulting materials were reused or recycled. This included over 1,900 tonnes of steel, nearly 3 tonnes of aluminium, close to 4 tonnes of copper, 300 tonnes of fibreglass, 24 tonnes of PVC cables, and 14 tonnes of oils, along with gearboxes, anemometers, and other components. In addition, equipment and parts weighing more than 100 tonnes have been retained for continued use. 

The project’s second phase will see the remaining 41 turbines replaced by four new units, along with the addition of 14.26 MW of battery storage capacity. Meanwhile, the first phase—expected to be connected to the grid in the coming months—has secured up to €4.6 million in public funding from the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE), under the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, through the Circular Repowering programme supported by Next Generation EU funds.