The reservoirs are already producing twice as much as in the last 15 years.

Renewable capacity in Spain has reached the point where half of its energy production comes from clean energy. The most important factor was hydroelectric power, due to the production and storage of energy. Thus, Spain has found in these unconventional batteries a way to end the year very well.

Energy storage. Water reserves in Spain are at 51.7% of their capacity (this data may change in the coming days due to rainfall), this is a good data for reversing or pumping stations. In fact, data from the Spanish Electricity Network (REE) showed that these power plants produced 4,747 GWh of electricity last October. In other words, they are up 10% from last year and pumping twice as much as they have in the last 15 years.

Pumping stations, the solution? According to PNIEC, despite problems with the construction of reversible power plants of this type, for at least 10 years existing power plants have supported the 3,337 MW capacity installed in Spain. Given the rise in intermittent use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, pumping stations are becoming a way to manage the storage and delivery of electricity during periods of high and low demand.

What’s happening with renewable energy? The installed capacity of solar and wind energy has increased in Spain in recent years. However, since they are uncontrolled sources, that is, they depend on climatic conditions and cannot be adjusted directly to demand. For this reason, during times of excess or lack of demand, they need storage and energy reservoirs can be used for this.

Clean unmixed pumping units. There are some differences between both plants. Those with pure pumping are designed solely to store and produce energy by pumping and turbine cycling water between two reservoirs. Instead, blended power plants can combine traditional hydroelectric power with pumping, allowing them to produce electricity from both stored energy and natural energy.

And how does this affect the price of electricity? Electricity production from renewable sources affects the price of electricity. During sunless hours, pumping stations can release energy and sell it in situations of high demand and high prices to find a balance compared to combined cycles. However, by operating during peak demand hours, they can raise the average price of electricity.

Reservoirs in Spain are finding a way to adapt and become an important player in the renewable energy future. This is the situation in the coming years, with the increase in renewable energy capacity, the price of electricity may fluctuate due to the availability of storage technologies and the stability of electricity demand.

Image | Iberdrola

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