Naturgy advances in the energy transition with the processing of five projects for the installation of batteries in photovoltaic plants in Castilla-La Mancha. These projects, located in Picón I, II and III and La Nava in Ciudad Real, and in Carpio de Tajo in Toledo, two of the provinces with the highest solar irradiation in Spain, will allow Naturgy to accumulate electricity from renewable sources and feed it into the grid when necessary.
Castilla-La Mancha is a key region for renewable energy due to its high potential for solar power generation, with more than 3,000 hours of sunlight per year on average, 500 hours more than the national average, making it an ideal place for renewable photovoltaic power generation and storage.
Naturgy has turned solar intermittency into an opportunity to strengthen its commitment to the energy transition by developing hybridization projects with energy storage in Spain. These projects are part of the company’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the efficiency and flexibility of its energy system.
Batteries are a key technology for advancing the decarbonization of the Spanish electricity system, and Naturgy has begun to process the first battery hybridization projects with photovoltaic energy in Spain, including five projects in Castilla-La Mancha. These batteries will make it possible to store up to 100 MW of surplus solar energy at times of high generation for use when demand increases and renewable resources are scarce, which will help improve the quality of electricity supply and facilitate greater integration of renewable energy into the grid.
These five solar hybridization projects with batteries in Castilla-La Mancha, together with the Tabernas I and II projects in Almería and the installation of a stand-alone battery storage system in Vigo (Pontevedra), will be the first infrastructures of this type to be installed by Naturgy in Spain. The company already has experience in this type of projects, since last February it started up its first installation of this type worldwide in Australia, marking a historic milestone in the renewable energy business.
Naturgy plans to invest 117 million euros in the development of these eight battery storage projects, which are expected to come into operation in 2025.
Energy storage is key to Spain’s National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC), and batteries are an effective solution for storing renewable energy and making the electricity system more flexible. With these projects, Naturgy advances in its commitment to the transition to a more sustainable energy model, contributing to the decarbonization of the electricity system and the integration of renewable energies into the grid.