Endesa has started work on its first lithium battery system projects designed to hybridize several photovoltaic plants in the Iberian Peninsula. These are three projects with "grid-forming" technology that will be integrated into the "Ardila" solar installations, in Fregenal de la Sierra (Badajoz), and "La Vega I" and "La Vega II", in Teba (Málaga), the company reported.
These battery storage systems are part of Endesa's "partnership" with Masdar, the United Arab Emirates energy company, through which the latter acquired in 2024 a 49% stake in the share capital of a group of photovoltaic solar assets.
The alliance includes the incorporation of storage systems into different renewable plants, such as the three projects located in Badajoz and Málaga, which were distinguished at the European level in the first call for grants for innovative projects involving energy storage hybridized with renewable electricity generation facilities. In total, they add up to 60.16 megawatts (MW) of installed power and 120.34 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy, with a planned total investment of 25.2 million euros.
In detail, the "Ardila" plant will have 36.10 MW of storage power and 72.20 MWh of energy, while "La Vega I" and "La Vega II" will each have 12.03 MW and 24.07 MWh.
Increase the use of renewables and the system's flexibility
These installations will make it possible to retain part of the energy produced by the solar parks, optimizing the use of renewable generation and providing greater flexibility for the operation of the electricity system.
The "Ardila" project, developed through the project-promoting company Furatena Solar 1, will hybridize the 44 MWp photovoltaic plant that Endesa operates in Fregenal de la Sierra (Badajoz). The new system will incorporate 36.10 MW of power and 72.20 MWh of storage, distributed across 12 battery containers, each with 6.02 MWh of capacity.
The company has already started construction of the Ardila battery system, which will employ 25 workers in its peak phase. At the same time, and in coordination with the Fregenal de la Sierra City Hall, an analysis will be carried out to identify and assess in technical and economic terms possible improvement actions in the municipality.
The works will extend until the first quarter of 2027, and commissioning, along with synchronization with the grid, is planned for the end of that same year.
For its part, the projects "La Vega I" and "La Vega II", driven through the companies Enel Green Power España Solar 1 and Baylio Solar, will hybridize the two photovoltaic plants that Endesa already operates in Teba (Málaga). Each of the installations will have 12.03 MW of power and 24 MWh of storage capacity, distributed across four battery containers of 6,017 MWh each and four inverters.
Endesa stated that this hybridization will make it possible to increase the energy supply capacity of the existing plants, since the combined capacity of both installations is equivalent to the approximate daily electricity consumption of 5,400 homes in Spain.
Construction work began in October of this year and will reach a maximum of 25 jobs across the two projects, which are expected to enter commercial operation at the end of 2027.