Iberdrola Spain has begun commissioning the first group of the Valdecañas pumping station in Cáceres (Extremadura), which has a total capacity of 225 MW and includes a 15 MW hybrid battery and 7.5 MWh of stored energy.
The combination of batteries and hydroelectric groups allows for increased storage in the Tajo system to 210 GWh (equivalent to 5.2 million electric vehicle batteries). Group 1 is the first of the three at the plant in which technological improvements are being implemented that will allow the complete recovery of the pumping capacity of this facility. Additionally, there will be an improvement in water quality, due to the increase in the flow rates circulating through the reservoirs.
Reversible plants allow for rapid consumption and generation of electrical energy, which facilitates the balance of the consumption and demand curve and stabilises the electrical grid. The upper reservoir that feeds the plant acts as a “giant battery” charged with the potential energy of the water. In this way, energy can be stored when there is excess production from other non-manageable energy sources and recovered when necessary, operating as a “closed circuit between the upper and lower reservoirs”, which not only does not consume water, but also reuses it. This operation, independent of hydrology and with a long useful life, provides “large-scale” stability to the electrical system.
The start-up of this plant will help reduce CO2 emissions by 200,000 tons per year, thanks to greater renewable integration. In addition, it is generating 165 direct jobs and another 500 indirect jobs, promoting qualified employment. It is also having a great positive effect on the economy of the area, with the participation of small and medium-sized companies in the province of Cáceres, which also helps to establish the population.
Another important aspect has been the minimal impact during its execution, since the scope has been exclusively electromechanical and has not required the construction of any civil infrastructure, taking advantage of the existing ones and the Valdecañas and Torrejón-Tajo reservoirs, without changing operating levels. In addition, the construction of new lines in the transport network has not been necessary, since the existing ones are used.
The start-up of Valdecañas reinforces Iberdrola España’s commitment to hydroelectric storage in Spain, which has also recently put into operation the pumping projects of the hydroelectric plants of Tâmega (Portugal), Valparaíso (Zamora), Santiago Sil–Xares, (Galicia) and Torrejón (Cáceres). Today, Iberdrola España has 18 pumped storage hydroelectric plants with a total installed capacity of 6,000 MW. The project for a new reversible power plant in Alcántara, Cáceres, has already obtained a favourable Environmental Impact Statement (DIA) and permission to access the grid.
