Iberdrola allies with Asturian company Exiom to lead the manufacture of photovoltaic solar panels in Spain

Iberdrola and the Asturian business group Exiom have created an alliance to lead the manufacture of photovoltaic solar panels in Spain. Thus, both companies will locate in the Asturian municipality of Langreo the first large photovoltaic construction plant in the country and one of the first on an industrial scale in Europe. The solar panel factory in the mining basin will come into operation this year, 2023. 

The agreement with Exiom is part of Iberdrola's efforts to attract part of the value chain linked to renewable energies to the country. Specifically, solar energy. The aim is to make Spain a spearhead for leading this emerging sector in Europe. The Asturian region of Langreo will host the site for the construction of what will become the first large photovoltaic factory in Spain. The planned investment is 20 million euros and will contribute to the economic reactivation of the mining basins with the generation of 115 direct jobs in the area. Exiom is also a 100% Spanish-owned manufacturer, with its origins in Asturias itself, and one of the only European groups to appear on the prestigious list of Tier 1 manufacturers. 

The opening of this new factory in Europe responds to the interest of both companies in achieving competitive manufacturing at EU level, focused initially on solar panels with the possibility of extending the collaboration to other components in the photovoltaic value chain. 

Furthermore, the initiative reinforces the commitment of both companies to the industrialisation associated with the energy transition as reflected in the "Green Deal Industrial Plan", recently presented by the European Commission. Both companies have been in permanent contact with the Government of the Principality of Asturias, given the dynamising effect that the project will have on the region. 

Iberdrola's commitment to a sustainable energy model is part of its PERSEO programme to promote the development of start-ups and innovative industrial companies working in new areas of electrification and in sectors that are difficult to decarbonise. 

The PERSEO programme has 40 million euros, through the Perseo Venture Builder, specifically for launching industrial initiatives that can be developed in the field of energy transition. 

Since its creation in 2008, PERSEO has invested 175 million euros in businesses that develop innovative technologies, with a focus on those that can improve the sustainability of the energy sector through further electrification and decarbonisation of the economy. 

Exiom Group is a business group dedicated to photovoltaic energy with more than 14 years of experience in the sector. It has a workforce of around 300 employees and operates both in Spain and internationally. 

Exiom has carried out 650 projects in the last year alone, both in Spain and abroad, covering photovoltaic developments, distribution and self-consumption, with a total capacity of 1 GW, thus contributing to the development of photovoltaic energy. 

It currently has two solar panel manufacturing centres in China, thanks to which it has acquired sufficient experience and knowledge of the production processes. In addition, it also has a factory of steel structures for photovoltaic parks, located in Langreo. 

With all this, it has reached a turnover of more than 200 million euros by 2022, making it one of the leading companies in the sector and with a very significant growth projection in a sector as booming as the photovoltaic sector.