Overview
Because the Canary Islands are an isolated electricity system that is heavily reliant on hydropower, the region needs not only a stable grid and guaranteed energy supply, it also needs to reduce spending on imported energy sources and further reduce CO2 with the addition of renewable energy sources.
Six pumped storage units of 37 MW each will help stabilize the grid in Gran Canaria by acting as giant natural batteries. The project is expected to come online in 2027, with an energy storage capacity of 3.5 GWh.
Outcomes
expected increase in power generation
anticipated savings in variable generation costs
annual reduction in CO2
Chira Soria is key to the Canary Islands' electricity system. It has been designed with the highest environmental standards to guarantee its integration with the minimum visual impact, as 91% of the infrastructures are undergrounded. This project reinforces security and guarantees the electricity supply by increasing the power capacity in the system, key for an isolated system. It also boosts the integration of renewable energies into the system by using the surplus generation, thanks to its storage capacity.
Juan Bola Merino
Non-peninsular Territories’ System Operation director, Red Eléctrica
Here’s how pumped storage works: The water will be pumped from a lower reservoir to the upper reservoir in times of surplus energy and, in times of demand, water from the upper reservoir is released, generating electricity as the water passes through the turbine, to ultimately deliver renewable energy when needed.
For this project, the water will be pumped from the sea and desalted before reaching the upper reservoir. Once completed, the power station will increase renewable energy production on the island by 37%, over the estimated energy that would be generated without the existence of this facility. It would also raise the average annual coverage of the demand using renewable generation to 51%, which at specific times may be much higher. This will lead to an additional reduction in annual CO2 emissions of 20%.
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