The IBERDROLA Group reached an electricity production of 69,158 million kilowatt hours (kWh) during the first half of 2008, according to the first provisional data, a figure that represents an increase of 14.2% compared with what it achieved during the same period of the previous year.

This production was achieved thanks to the process of international expansion of the Company and to the greater investment in clean technologies of generation, in line with its current strategy. In this sense, it is worth highlighting that, for the first time in the history of IBERDROLA, the electricity plants located abroad have contributed more than 50% of all the energy produced in one half-year period.

Specifically, the international generation of the Company during the first six months of the current year has risen to 35,685 million kWh, 51.6% of the total: 18,961 million in Latin America (+32.1%); 13,410 million in the United Kingdom (+10.9%); 2,739 million in the United States (+198.4%), and another 575 million kWh in the rest of the world (+14.5%).

In Spain, IBERDROLA¡¯

s production between January and June reached 33,473 million kWh (+2.5%), with a noteworthy increase in generation through combined cycle gas plants (+61.7%, up to 8,893 million kWh), nuclear plants (+15.3%, up to 12,487 million) and wind farms (+14.6%, up to 4,417 million kWh).

The combined cycle plants of IBERDROLA around the world generated 33,450 million kWh in the first half of the year, a figure that represents an increase of 40.5% compared with the previous year and increases the importance of this technology in the balance of production of the Group up to 48.4%. It is also worth noting the performance of the renewable energy installations, which have contributed 8,558 million kWh (+48.5%*) and whose importance has now reached 12.4% of the total.

In addition, the electricity generated by the nuclear plants of IBERDROLA has risen to 12,487 million kWh (18.1% of the total production); that of the hydraulic plants to 6,088 million kWh (8.8% of the total); that of the thermal power stations to 6,531 million kWh (9.4%), and that of the cogeneration plants to 1,995 million kWh (2.9%). Fuel oil now barely represents 0.1% of the generation of the whole Group (less than 50 million kWh). 

The emissions into the atmosphere in the period amounted to 288 grams of CO2 per kWh at the Group level (-7%) and 149 grams of CO2 per kWh in Spain (-16.8%). In addition, 39% of the production of IBERDROLA has been free from CO2 emissions, a figure that has risen by two-thirds in Spain (66%), thanks to the focus on clean technologies of generation.

IBERDROLA surpasses 40,800 MW of power

IBERDROLA has continued to diversify and expand its generating network throughout the world during the first half of the year. The Company has reached an installed capacity of 40,822 megawatts (MW), 3.7% more than in the same period of 2007. By technologies, the combined cycles represent 31.2% of the total power; hydraulic power represents 23.8%; renewables represent 19.5%; thermal power represents 11.5%; nuclear power represents 8.2%; fuel oil represents 4.4%, and cogeneration represents 1.4%.

In Spain, the Company has passed from 25,754 MW to 26,010 MW, which represents an increase of 6.2%. The capacity in the United Kingdom is 6,567 MW (+2.6%); in Latin America it is 5,553 MW; in the United States it is 1,983 MW (+70.8%), and in the rest of the world it is 710 MW (+47.6%).

The focus of the Company to grow in basic energy trade through generating plants that are respectful of the environment, which has lead it to become a key actor in the fight against climate change, will continue in the coming years, with the opening of more renewable installations, combined cycle plants and hydroelectric stations capable of meeting demand, both in Spain and abroad.