Iberdrola has started the first tests for the improvement and optimization of the pumped accumulation plant called Santiago Sil-Xaresin the municipality of Vilamartín de Valdeorras (Ourense), where it foresees the start-up at the end of the year, “at full capacity”, of a surplus energy storage gigabyte.
This type of facilities, called gigabatteriesare essential to advance decarbonization and are the most efficient large-scale storage system that currently exists. The first tests have already begun and it is estimated that At the end of the year they are at full capacitywith the hybridization of the five megawatt hour battery.
The company explains that it has installed a static starter that, together with a five-megawatt-hour battery, will allow the current hydroelectric pumping between the two rivers, which have a difference in level of 230 meters, to be coupled to the grid “more quickly.” megawatts of power and a storage capacity of almost three gigawatts per hour.
Pumping makes it possible to accumulate surplus energy from non-manageable renewable sources, solar and windto have them available at the times when it is most needed. In this way, “stability is provided to the electrical system, since it allows significant amounts of clean energy to be generated” with a very fast response time.
This hydroelectric plant on the Sil River, with an average production of 100 GWh/yearcame into operation more than five decades ago. It has four hydroelectric groups: two of them of the flowing type, called Santiago-Silwith a power of 14 MW and a flow of 160 m3/s.
two reservoirs
Also two other reversible Francis type, Santiago-Xareswith a pumped storage capacity of 50 MW of power and a flow rate of 18 m3/s. The pumping stations have two reservoirs at different heights that allow water to be transported from one to the other at times of lower demand to be used again when electricity consumption increases.
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