Iberdrola leads the Flexener consortium to research new technologies to consolidate a 100 % renewable electricity system

Siemens-Gamesa, Ingeteam R&D Europe, Indar, OSI Digital Grid Solutions, Balantia and Wallbox will undertake research together with the energy company into new renewable generation technologies and grids, which are more bidirectional and flexible, to facilitate the integration of green energy into the electricity system

Iberdrola will lead the Flexener consortium with the participation of Siemens-Gamesa, Ingeteam R&D Europe, Indar, OSI Digital Grid Solutions, Balantia and Wallbox, whose main objective will be to undertake research into new technologies in areas such as renewable energy generation and its integration into the electricity distribution system (grid), storage systems and flexible demand management to ensure an efficient energy transition.

The initiative, which will be carried out between 2021 and 2023 and will have a total budget of 7.6 million euros earmarked entirely for research and development, is part of the Missions programme run by the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), an agency of the Ministry of Science and Innovation.  

The project represents a public-private commitment to promoting collaborative R&D&i that accelerates the fulfilment of objectives relating to the energy transition. It also highlights the need to increase investment in electricity grids above the levels seen over recent decades to enable a green recovery.

Research into grid digitalisation will allow the development of increasingly bi-directional system¬s to transform the customer’s relationship with energy by involving them in consumption that is more autonomous and responsible; more robust, by ensuring the incorporation of more renewables; and more flexi¬ble, because the grids incorporate multiple generation points close to the places of consumption. The project represents an opportunity to promote solutions in areas such as electric vehicles and self-consumption, which are set to play a decisive role in the consolidation of new development models such as smart cities.

Investments to accelerate decarbonisation objectives

After investing 120 billion euros over the last two decades, Iberdrola is a global energy leader with an installed renewable capacity of more than 35,000 MW, making its generation fleet one of the cleanest in the energy sector.

Aware of the potential role electricity grids can play in the transition, Iberdrola has invested 2 billion euros in recent years to digitise 11 million me¬ters in Spain and it continues this process in other markets to further promote smart grids and ensure the mass incorporation of renewables. By 2025, the company will have installed more than 21 million smart meters in the markets in which it operates.

Iberdrola is developing a historic investment plan worth 150 billion euros by 2030, which will include 75 billion euros by 2025, through which it will triple its renewable capacity and double its network assets and take advantage of the opportunities presented by the energy revolution facing the world’s leading economies. In Spain, these investments amount to around 14.3 billion euros by 2025.