Iberdrola Spain leads the way in renewable energy storage in Extremadura

Four Iberdrola Spain projects position Extremadura as a key territory for the energy transition, integrating technological innovation and sustainability. The energy company has been a pioneer in the implementation of battery storage systems and has several projects in the region that are examples of the path opened up to more effectively address the challenges of a green and sustainable energy model. 

The Arañuelo III photovoltaic plant, located in Romangordo (Cáceres), marked a milestone by being the first in the country to incorporate a storage battery with 3 MW of power and 9 MWh of capacity connected to a solar installation. 

This energy storage system maximises the use of renewable energy by reducing losses due to surplus and facilitating its integration into the grid. It also improves the stability of the electricity system and provides backup at times of high demand, thanks to its almost instantaneous response capacity. 

Arañuelo III is part of the Campo Arañuelo photovoltaic complex, which also includes the Arañuelo I and II plants, which together have an installed capacity of 143 MW. The Arañuelo I and II plants were the first in this facility to be commissioned and now the use of the energy they generate will be reinforced with a new project by Iberdrola Spain to also equip them with storage systems such as those already in operation at Arañuelo III. 

In addition, the Valdecañas pumping station incorporates a hybrid battery that allows the surplus energy generated by the dam to be stored and released when necessary. It has a total power of 225 MW and includes a hybrid battery system with a power of 15 MW and 7.5 MWh of stored energy. 

The Valdecañas battery and hydroelectric units together increase storage capacity to 210 GWh (equivalent to 5.2 million electric vehicle batteries). This allows the reversible pumped storage plant to function as a 'giant battery', in which it is possible to store energy when there is excess production and recover it when necessary, operating as a closed circuit with no water consumption.