Eolo Awards 2024: the Association of Wind Companies (AEE) presents the winners. Of the Association of Wind Companies (AEE)thank all participants in the Eolo Awards 2024 their cooperation and enthusiasm in the field of wind energy. The goal of Eolo Awards 2024 is making visible the wind force in the different categories. The act of delivering the Eolo Awards 2024 will be celebrated June 13th in Madrid, during the Annual Wind Meeting that organizes the Association of Wind Companies (AEE).
- National integration of wind energy: Cerrato stoves (Palencia)
- Innovation: Proyecto “Skylift craneless installation system” from Nabrawind Technologies
- Photography:
- 1st Prize – Virginia Méndez García for ‘Conservación Avifauna’
- 2nd Prize – José Miguel Hernández Rebordinos for ‘Giants in the Plain’
- 3rd prize – Covadonga Gala Miranda for ‘Livestock and wind energy’
- Wind micro-stories: ‘Strike due to existential crisis’ by Francisco Sánchez Egea
- Grafic art: ‘Divine Nature’ by Salvador Linares Fernández
Eolo Award for national integration of wind energy 2024
The municipality of Cerrato stovesin the province of Palencia, the Eolo Prize 2024 to the Rural wind integration by 2024. It is a model municipality for its wind development, where the implementation of wind energy is carried out with maximum harmony and compatibility with the rest of the economic, cultural and environmental activities of the area, and is furthermore an example of how Spain’s deflated can be revived with using wind projects. Hornillos de Cerrato has expanded its population to 175 inhabitants in 2023.
The arrival of wind energy to Hornillos de Cerrato marked a before and after in the life of the municipality with an increase in the quality of life and the generation of enrichment of the city with the income that affects.
In the past, the economic resources of Cerrat stovesor they came from agriculture, but thanks to the income from wind technology (about 300,000 euros of the total 500,000 euros of the municipal budget), new services and jobs were developed such as a taxi to transport the elderly to the doctor; the municipal subsidy for fiber optic or electricity; new facilities such as a swimming pool, paddle tennis court, mini golf, zip lines or youth facilities and free activities.
Castilla y León is a reference in the field of wind development in Spain. It is the community that produces the most electrical energy from this renewable source, 6,744 MW. Just what the wind farms of Palencia, Burgos and Soria generate can supply almost 2.5 million homes, i.e. almost the entire community. Palencia, where it is located Cerrato stovesis the province responsible for generating 13% of the wind energy produced in Castilla y León, with 44 wind farms. It is the third province that produces the most wind energy in the region.
Specifically, inside Cerrato stoves 40 wind turbines have been installed, spread over 7 wind farms, the most recent of which is ‘Celada Fusión’, all owned by Acciona Energía. Celada Fusión generated approximately 280 jobs during construction (approximately 120 direct jobs, 95 indirect and 65 induced jobs). And today there are 5 permanent employees working on the operation and maintenance.
Other socio-economic impacts identified with the implementation of wind energy in the area, and an important revitalization of economic activity, include projects for the recovery of tourism in the area, such as the approval and adaptation of the gypsum mines that have been operating since 1918 existence. driving force of the economy together with agriculture in the 1950s.
In the same way, the wind projects in the municipality care for and protect the fauna and vegetation of the undergrowth, by adapting the location of the wind turbines in the vicinity of the installation. The visual and landscape impact was reduced by integrating the facility into the environment through restoration and revegetation actions.
For the construction of the accesses to the wind farms, a pilot project has been carried out in which ash from the Briviesca biomass power plant is used as a replacement for quarry materials. Reusing biomass ash allows waste to be recovered, promotes the circular economy and reduces CO2 emissions during the construction process.
Eolo Innovation Prize 2024
The winner of this edition is the project ‘Skylift Craneless Installation System’ from the company Nabrawind Technologies. The innovative solution Sky lift It is an innovative system that seeks to revolutionize the wind industry by allowing the complete installation of large multi-gigawatt wind turbines, mounting the nacelle (nacelle), tower and rotors, in wind conditions above standard ( wind speeds up to 15 meters/s) and without the need for large cranes, through a self-hoisting process of all wind turbine components, efficiently and quickly.
The main innovative improvement of this system lies in the advantages it offers: the possibility of mounting complete wind turbines at previously unreachable heights (tower heights of more than 200 meters) without the need for high-capacity auxiliary cranes, which simplifies the installation process and reduces costs decreases. operating costs, which also improves safety. In the same way, it is worth emphasizing the ability to work in strong winds, which significantly increases the installation period. So, Sky lift responds to the logistical and technical challenges of increasingly larger turbines. This solution not only increases operational efficiency and installation flexibility, but also significantly accelerates installation times, contributing to more agile and efficient wind energy generation, with an installation time of one week per wind turbine. And transportable in just 16 trucks compared to the more than 30 required by a conventional main chain crane.
The initiative of Eolo Prize 2024 of Innovation is framed within the lines of action of the Association of Wind Companies (AEE) and the Technological Platform of the Wind Sector, REOLTECto support innovation and national technological development in a context of strong international competition, market globalization and cost optimization.
The finalist projects of the Eolo Innovation Prize 2024to which the management body belonged REOLTEChighlight the dynamism and technological strength of companies in the Spanish wind sector.
Eolo Microstory Prize 2024
The story ‘Strike due to existential crisis’ from the author Francisco Sánchez Egea, resident of Lorca (Murcia), has won the Wind Microstory Prize 2024 by Association of Wind Companies (AEE). The Association of Wind Companies (AEE) has received short stories of enormous literary quality and originality. The Association organizes this competition annually, the prize of which is a visit to a wind farm with the opportunity to climb a wind turbine.
Eolo Photography Prize 2024
In the edition of Eolo Photography Prize from 2024, at Association of Wind Companies (AEE) has received more than 100 photos with wind energy as the main theme.
First place is over Virginia Mendez GarciaEndesa employee, for photography ‘Conservation of birds’with which he wanted to highlight the work of companies in the wind sector in realizing and implementing projects to limit collisions with birds and bats by installing effective protection, detection and deterrent systems.