The island of Gran Canaria is known for its sandy beaches, eternal sun and its volcanic past. However, being cut off from the European mainland, it relies heavily on imported fossil fuels to power its growing economy: 76% of its electricity comes from burning oil. To reduce its carbon footprint, the government has been investing heavily in renewable energy to take advantage of the island’s abundant solar and wind resources.
The need for energy storage
As more renewable energy sources are installed on the island, new challenges arise, one of them being storage. In 2022, renewables accounted for 24% of the island’s energy mix, up from 12% in 2018. To stabilize the grid when the wind is not blowing or the sun is not shining, the government invested €400 million in the first project of energy storage in the Canary Islands last year.
What is a “giant water battery”?
The project, known as Salto de Chira, will convert two existing dams into a “giant water battery.” During periods of low power demand, water will be pumped from the Soria dam to the Chira dam, which is located at a higher elevation. During periods of high energy demand, the water will be released from Chira, passing through a tunnel, and generating power through a series of turbines, before returning to Soria, closing the loop.
Pumped hydro, also known as a “giant water battery,” can store and release energy on demand. According to the International Energy Agency, it remains the most widely used storage technology worldwide, accounting for more than 90% of global energy storage capacity.
project benefits
When Salto de Chira comes online in 2027, it is expected to generate up to 200 MW of power at times of high demand, equivalent to more than a third of the island’s needs. In addition, according to Red Eléctrica, the project will increase the share of renewable energy on the island from 24% to 51% and will save €122 million a year in imported fossil fuels. It is also expected to create more than 4,300 jobs, of which around 3,500 will be in Gran Canaria.
The president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, called the project a “big boost” for the archipelago’s ambitions to achieve a fully decarbonised economy by 2040, ten years ahead of the targets set by the EU.
The importance of energy storage in the energy transition
As European countries decarbonise their energy systems, the adoption of energy storage solutions to balance the intermittent supply of renewable energy and increase energy security becomes increasingly urgent. According to the European Association for Energy Storage (EASE), the EU will need 200 GW of energy storage by the end of the decade and 600 GW by 2050.
Pumped hydro is an important energy storage technology in this context, as it can store renewable energy and release it when needed, making it an essential solution to stabilize the grid at times of high demand. In the case of Salto de Chira, the project will not only significantly increase the share of renewable energy on the island, but will also reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels and create jobs in the energy sector.
Pumped hydro projects can be controversial, especially when they involve building new dams on rivers that flood land to create new reservoirs and affect ecosystems. However, in many cases, such as the Salto de Chira project, the construction of new dams is not required, but the adaptation of existing ones.
It is undoubtedly a great step towards the energy transition and the decarbonisation of the economy, not only for the island, but also for the archipelago as a whole. Pumped hydro is a key technology for grid stabilization in non-interconnected systems such as those on islands, and projects like this are essential to achieve renewable energy and emissions reduction targets set by the EU and other international bodies.
More information at ree.es and TNW
