Iberdrola España has obtained a favorable Environmental Impact Statement(EIS) for the construction of the new Alcántara II reversible hydroelectric pumping station, located in the municipality of Alcántara, in the province of Cáceres.
Reversible hydroelectric pumping station in Cáceres
This project will have an installed capacity of 440 megawatts(MW), an important step towards energy storage and theintegration of renewable energies into the Spanish electricity grid. The company’s management has received the grid access permit and is awaiting the issuance of the prior administrative authorization to begin the first phases of construction.
The plant will take advantage of the existing reservoirs in the area to generate electricity through a reversible pumping system, which allows storing energy in water supplies during stipulated hours of low demand and generating electricity when necessary.
Reversible hydroelectric pumping technology is one of the most efficient systems for large-scale energy storage. In this case, the Alcántara II power plant will have a storage capacity of 16 million kilowatt-hours(kWh), equivalent to the daily consumption of more than 4 million people. This system will allow the power system to operate for up to 37 hours with the turbines at full load, providing stability and flexibility to the power system.
On the other hand, the reuse of the water resource will generate more than 1,000 additional gigawatt-hours(GWh) per year, avoiding the emission of approximately 355,000 tons of CO₂. This will contribute to the decarbonization of the Spanish electricity system, favoring the integration of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.
Iberdrola’s new hydroelectric power plant design
One of the highlights of the project is the subway application. Both the hydraulic circuits and the power plant itself will be built underground to minimize the environmental and landscape impact. The plant will connect the lower reservoir of Cedillo with the upper reservoir of Alcántara, by means of a double subway hydraulic circuit 0.9 km long, taking advantage of a drop of 108 meters with two reversible turbines of 220 MW of power each.
Its design will also ensure that the project will not adversely affect other users of the Tagus River, because it will operate in a closed circuit that reuses water without consuming it. In addition, the project contemplates measures to protect local biodiversity, including aquatic and terrestrial fauna, and is committed to using recycled materials to promote the circular economy.
The Instituto para la Diversificación y Ahorro de la Energía(IDAE) has awarded the project a 44.9 million euro grant for its economic viability and advanced technical features. This funding comes from the European Union’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, highlighting the importance of the project for Spain’s and Europe’s energy objectives.
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Source and photo: Iberdrola Spain
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