Francisco Pizarro 590MW Solar Plant, Spain – Iberdrola Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Project

Project Backdrop: The Solar Goldmine of Extremadura
When Iberdrola committed to building the Francisco Pizarro solar plant in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain, the entire European photovoltaic industry took notice. This was not a modest rooftop installation. It was a ground-mounted, utility-scale solar farm sprawling across roughly 1,300 hectares, rated at 590 MW (DC side), commissioned in 2022, and capable of powering approximately 330,000 households annually while offsetting around 150,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year.
Spain has earned its reputation as Europe's premier market for utility-scale solar deployment for three structural reasons. First, the solar resource is extraordinary. Extremadura receives between 1,800 and 2,200 kWh/m² annually—nearly double the irradiation levels seen in Germany. That translates directly into higher capacity factors and faster project payback periods. Second, land and grid-access conditions are uniquely favorable. Vast tracts of inexpensive inland terrain, combined with government-supported centralized high-voltage interconnection, make 100 MW to 500 MW developments not just feasible, but routine. Third, the investment ecosystem is mature. Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) are standardized, and development is dominated by capital-heavy energy majors like Iberdrola and Acciona. For suppliers, this means one thing: the cost discipline is relentless, and the delivery accountability is absolute.
For Dongguan GERITEL Electrical Co., Ltd., this represented both an opportunity and a high-stakes proving ground.
The Client's Trilemma: Speed, Scale, and Environment
In our early engagement with the project's procurement team, three anxieties surfaced repeatedly. These concerns are emblematic of large-scale ground-mount developments worldwide.
The first was schedule intensity. Iberdrola's grid-connection window for Francisco Pizarro was brutally tight: twelve to eighteen months from groundbreaking to energization. In that compressed timeline, any cable delivery delay would cascade through the entire construction chain. The client needed more than "fast shipping." They needed uninterrupted supply—every drum of H1Z2Z2-K / PV1-F PV cable, every reel of XLPE copper cable, every length of medium-voltage trunk line, arriving in lockstep with the construction rhythm.
The second was logistical complexity. At 590 MW, the project required dozens of containers arriving in close sequence, then traveling hundreds of inland kilometers to a remote, arid site. How to pack, how to stage, how to minimize on-site warehousing—these were not afterthoughts. They were make-or-break variables.
The third was environmental severity. Extremadura is hot, dry, and windy. UV exposure is intense. Dust and sand are constant. Standard cables in these conditions risk insulation embrittlement, jacket cracking, and conductor oxidation. The client was explicit: every cable delivered must perform reliably for 25 years or more under these stresses.
The GERITEL Solution: Why Our Cables Won the Bid
We did not respond with a price sheet. We responded with an integrated, end-to-end cable strategy.
DC String Cabling: The H1Z2Z2-K / PV1-F Advantage
On the DC side, the project employed two dominant conductor sizes: 4 mm², accounting for roughly 70% of the run-length and used for standard string connections, and 6 mm², making up the remaining 30% and reserved for longer string runs or higher-current arrays. Industry benchmarks suggest that utility-scale ground-mount projects consume between 35 and 50 kilometers of DC cable per megawatt. Applied to Francisco Pizarro's 590 MW capacity, the total DC cable requirement ranged from 20,650 km to 29,500 km. At this volume, even a minor quality deviation would amplify across the entire plant.
We recommended our H1Z2Z2-K / PV1-F photovoltaic cable, built on a tinned copper conductor with dual-layer XLPO insulation and XLPO sheath. Compared to conventional PVC or standard XLPE-insulated alternatives, XLPO offers markedly superior thermal endurance, UV resistance, and long-term aging stability. The cable's continuous operating temperature reaches 90°C, with short-circuit tolerance up to 250°C. Its rated DC voltage of 1.8 kV comfortably covers 1500 V system architectures, aligning with Iberdrola's inverter specifications.
Critically, our H1Z2Z2-K / PV1-F holds TÜV certification (Certificate No. B 126326 0001 Rev.00) and UL 4703 certification (UL File No. E552397). In Iberdrola's vendor qualification process, these were not checkbox items. The TÜV certificate had to be verifiable on the TÜV Rheinland database. The UL file number had to be traceable in UL's online directory. We provided direct query pathways for both. That single act of transparency eliminated the client's "certification authenticity" concern and became a decisive factor in our shortlisting.
Structurally, the cable features a Class 5 tinned copper flexible conductor, enabling tight bending radii for rapid installation between tracker rows. The black XLPO sheath is UV-stabilized for direct outdoor exposure. The compact, lightweight construction is optimized for mechanized large-scale deployment.
String Combiner to Inverter: XLPE Copper Trunk Cables
Between combiner boxes and inverters, the project required 16 mm², 25 mm², and 35 mm² XLPE copper cables to carry aggregated DC current. Based on industry experience of 0.8 to 1.5 km per megawatt, Francisco Pizarro's demand fell between 470 km and 885 km. We offered both single-core and multi-core configurations; the client ultimately selected single-core to minimize jointing points and failure modes.
AC Low-Voltage Side: 0.6/1 kV YJV cable
At the inverter AC output, 0.6/1 kV XLPE-insulated YJV power cables were deployed in 70 mm², 120 mm², and 185 mm² sizes, with 185 mm² serving as the workhorse specification. The configuration was 3-core plus PE. Industry norms suggest 0.3 to 0.6 km per megawatt for this segment, yielding a project total of 177 km to 354 km. Compared with locally sourced European equivalents such as NYY or N2XY, our XLPE cables demonstrated superior ampacity and thermal performance, with copper purity exceeding 99.95% to minimize resistive losses.

Medium-Voltage Collection: 12/20 kV and 18/30 kV XLPE Cables
For grid interconnection, the project utilized 12/20 kV and 18/30 kV XLPE medium-voltage cables in 95 mm², 120 mm², and 185 mm² sizes, with single-core aluminum and copper conductor options. At roughly 0.2 to 0.4 km per megawatt, the 590 MW plant required between 118 km and 236 km. Our medium-voltage product carries UL 1072 certification, with dry-cure XLPE insulation and a sheath engineered for UV and sand-abrasion resistance—essential for Extremadura's exposed terrain.
Execution: From Capacity Lock to Staged Delivery
Winning the technical specification was only the beginning. The real test lay in execution.
To neutralize schedule risk, we locked production capacity three to six months ahead of the first delivery window. The DC cable, being the highest-volume category, was production-scheduled in strict alignment with the construction sequence: foundation works, tracker assembly, string wiring, and combiner commissioning. Each batch was timed to arrive within a seven-day tolerance of its respective construction node.
To tame logistical complexity, we implemented a "Block Packaging" strategy. Every 50 to 100 MW of cable demand was consolidated into a self-contained shipping unit, complete with proportional size mixes and clear labeling. Containers were loaded on a "first-needed, first-access" basis, eliminating on-site sorting. This approach reduced the client's warehousing footprint by approximately 40% and prevented the costly delays of hunting through mixed shipments.
To withstand environmental stress, we added accelerated thermal aging and UV exposure testing prior to shipment, validating that the XLPO sheath would not chalk or crack under Extremadura's relentless sun. Every drum was marked with gauge, meterage, and certification identifiers for traceability during inspection and decades of future O&M.
Results: A Two-Way Validation
Francisco Pizarro reached commercial operation in 2022. Our cable deliveries recorded zero returns, zero delays, and zero on-site quality disputes. For Iberdrola, this meant supply-chain risk had been contained. For GERITEL, it meant a scalable methodology for large-scale solar cable delivery had been proven in one of Europe's most demanding markets.
Looking back, the client's three core worries—schedule, logistics, environment—were each converted into measurable, contractual delivery actions. And the certificates—TÜV B 126326 0001 Rev.00 and UL 4703 E552397—were not merely compliance documents. They were the decision anchor that led the client to choose GERITEL over lower-priced alternatives. In a market governed by energy majors and non-negotiable standards, "verifiable certification" carries more weight than marginal cost savings.
If You Are Planning Your Next Utility-Scale Solar Project
Whether your development sits in Spain, the Middle East, Latin America, or Southeast Asia, the cable logic for large ground-mount solar remains constant: massive volume, complex sizing, unforgiving schedules, and harsh environments.
Dongguan GERITEL Electrical Co., Ltd. specializes in the manufacture of photovoltaic and power cables. Our core portfolio spans H1Z2Z2-K / PV1-F PV DC cables, XLPE copper trunk cables, 0.6/1 kV power cables, and medium-voltage XLPE cables. All products carry TÜV, UL, and other international certifications with traceable certificate numbers. Production capacity is substantial and scalable, with full support for milestone-based, phased delivery aligned to your construction schedule.
Contact our project team today for a customized cable proposal and quotation:
Dongguan GERITEL Electrical Co., Ltd.
Tel / WhatsApp / WeChat: +86 135 1078 4550 / +86 136 6257 9592
Email: manager01@greaterwire.com