Zelestra Begins Full Commercial Operations At The Villamañán Solar Project, A 19 MWdc Facility In León, Strengthening Clean Energy Capacity In Spain

Zelestra, a global multi-technology renewable energy company, has begun full commercial operations at the Villamañán Solar Project, a 19 MWdc facility located in León, Spain. The project is one of three solar plants delivered by Zelestra’s internal EPC division under a long-term virtual power purchase agreement with Graphic Packaging International. Two other plants included in the partnership, José Cabrera Solar Plant (50 MWdc) and Socovos II Solar Plant (33 MWdc) are already operational, bringing the total clean energy capacity delivered through the collaboration to more than 100 MWdc.

The Villamañán plant is expected to generate around 28,700 MWh of renewable electricity annually, preventing more than 4,900 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. Construction supported over 80 jobs, and the project includes a newly planted perimeter vegetative screen of native species designed to blend the facility into the surrounding landscape.

Elodie Bugnicourt, sustainability director for Graphic Packaging International, said the completion of Villamañán marks the successful delivery of three solar projects built at notable speed under the VPPA. She noted that customers are placing increasing importance on cutting their carbon footprint, and the clean energy from these plants will support a more sustainable packaging value chain.

Luis Alvargonzalez, Zelestra’s country manager in Spain, said the milestone reflects the strength of the partnership with Graphic Packaging International and a shared commitment to accelerating the energy transition. He added that delivering over 100 MW of clean energy capacity not only supports customer decarbonisation goals but also contributes to local job creation, community investment, and a more resilient Spanish economy. Spain remains one of Zelestra’s core global markets. The company currently has around 1.1 GW of contracted solar and battery energy storage capacity with customers and a broader development pipeline exceeding 7 GW.