42.5 MW Solar Plant in Jerez: Wind Hybridization Authorized

Key data

Wigep Andalucía, SA has firm authorization to build the Jerez photovoltaic module of 42.50 MW in Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz). The Resolution of the Directorate General for Energy Policy and Mines, of March 23, 2026, also includes authorization for the associated evacuation infrastructure and declares the project of public utility.

The singularity of this project is its hybridization model: the new photovoltaic plant will be integrated with the PE Jerez wind farm, already in operation, which has exactly the same installed power (42.5 MW). Both installations will share the existing grid connection point, eliminating the need to build new evacuation infrastructure from scratch.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution grants three differentiated elements to Wigep Andalucía, SA:

• Administrative authorization for construction of the photovoltaic generation module called Jerez, with an installed power of 42.50 MW.
• Authorization of evacuation infrastructure necessary to connect the solar plant to the electrical system, taking advantage of the existing connection of the PE Jerez wind farm.
• Declaration of public utility, which has two immediate practical effects: it expedites the processing of administrative permits and legally enables the forced expropriation procedure for the land necessary to execute the project.

The concept of hybridization applied by this project consists of connecting two renewable generation technologies—wind and photovoltaic—to the same access point to the electrical grid. Since wind and sun do not coincide in their generation peaks, hybridization allows more continuous and efficient use of available evacuation capacity, without the need to expand it.

Economic and operational impact

For Wigep Andalucía, SA, this authorization is the key that opens the construction phase. Without it, the project cannot be executed. The declaration of public utility significantly reduces the risk of blockage due to opposition from landowners, as it activates the forced expropriation mechanism if private negotiations do not succeed.

From the perspective of investment efficiency, sharing evacuation infrastructure with the PE Jerez wind farm represents significant savings in grid connection costs, one of the most expensive components and with the greatest regulatory uncertainty in renewable generation projects in Spain.

For the Cádiz electrical system, hybridization means that a single connection point will manage up to 85 MW of combined renewable capacity, improving the utilization of the existing network without the need for new investments in transport infrastructure.

The project is framed within Spain's national objectives for energy transition and decarbonization of the electrical mix, which means that this type of hybrid projects have priority in administrative processing and preferential access to certain regulatory support mechanisms.

Who does it affect?

• Wigep Andalucía, SA: holder of the authorization and responsible for executing the construction of the photovoltaic module and its evacuation infrastructure.
• Landowners in Jerez de la Frontera: the declaration of public utility enables forced expropriation of the land necessary for the project. Affected owners must be alert to notifications of the expropriation procedure.
• Electrical system operators in Cádiz: must manage the integration of the new photovoltaic capacity at the shared connection point with PE Jerez.
• Renewable energy companies in Andalucía: this project is a precedent for a wind-solar hybridization model that can be replicated in other installations with existing connection points.
• Competitors and promoters of renewable projects in the area: the occupation of evacuation capacity at this network node may condition the access of future projects to the same connection point.

Practical example

A renewable energy promoter that has an operational wind farm in Andalucía with underutilized evacuation capacity can follow the Wigep Andalucía model: request authorization to add a photovoltaic module that shares the same grid connection point.

In the specific case of Jerez: the PE Jerez wind farm has 42.5 MW of installed power. By adding the Jerez photovoltaic module of another 42.5 MW, renewable generation capacity is doubled without the need to build a new evacuation line or request a new network access point. This reduces both investment costs and administrative processing times, which in Spain can exceed 3-5 years for new connection points.

For affected landowners: if you receive a notification of the start of an expropriation proceeding linked to this project, you should know that the declaration of public utility has already been granted, which means the procedure has firm legal backing. In that context, negotiation of the fair value in the mutual agreement phase is usually more agile and favorable than waiting for the forced expropriation phase.

What should companies do now?

1. If you are Wigep Andalucía or manage the project: verify that the construction authorization is formally notified and review the technical and environmental conditions included in the resolution before starting work.
2. If you are a landowner in Jerez de la Frontera: check if your plot is included in the scope of the public utility declaration. If you receive notification of the start of an expropriation proceeding, act in the mutual agreement phase to negotiate the fair value under better conditions.
3. If you are a renewable promoter with existing wind farms in Andalucía: analyze whether your installation has available evacuation capacity to add a photovoltaic module under a hybridization regime. This model reduces costs and processing times.
4. If you are a network operator or electrical infrastructure manager in Cádiz: update the capacity planning of the network node affected by this authorization.