GUELPH, ON, March 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Canadian Solar Inc. (the “Company” or “Canadian Solar”) (NASDAQ: CSIQ) today announced that six of its photovoltaic solar projects totaling 685 MW located in the Andalucía and Castilla y León regions of Spain received favorable Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) from the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge and the Environmental Agency of Castilla y León.

　The EIA assesses the direct and indirect impacts of a power project based on a range of environmental factors, including the impacts on the local community, biodiversity, land, soil, water, air, climate, landscape, and cultural heritage. The EIA procedure ensures that environmental protection and considerations are taken into account from the very beginning of project development activities. The process also fosters public engagement and provides transparency in the decision-making process.

　The autonomous regions of Andalucía and Castilla y León are two of the most promising and fast-growing regions in Spain for solar energy, boasting with some of the best solar irradiation in the world.

　All projects are expected to start construction in 2023 and will be fully operational by 2025. The Company’s total portfolio of solar photovoltaic parks under development in Spain amounts to more than 2 GW located across six autonomous communities.

　The environmental authorization for these 685 MW is another milestone for Canadian Solar in the Spanish market, where it has been present since 2006. These projects are expected to create nearly 1,700 local jobs and will generate enough clean energy to supply approximately 365,000 homes, equivalent to reducing approximately 350,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

　Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar, commented “As a responsible renewable energy provider, we integrate ESG not only into our manufacturing business but also our project development business. We evaluate environmental and ecological impacts of every project we develop globally. We are very pleased to have recently obtained the Environmental Impact Assessment for our six projects in Spain. They will contribute to lowering electricity prices for end consumers, decarbonizing Spain’s energy mix and promoting the energy transition towards a cleaner and more sustainable future.”