In consortium with Cobra Infrastructuras Hidráulicas, GE has been selected by Red Eléctrica to supply six pumped storage turbines for the Chira Soria project in Gran Canaria, Spain. Red Eléctrica is the sole transmission agent and operator of the national electricity system in Spain. The scope of work includes designing, supplying, transporting, and commissioning the turbines, generators, main transformers, and electrical balance-of-plant equipment. The project is expected to be operational by 2027 and will have an energy storage capacity of 3.5 GWh.
The Chira Soria hydropower project will have a significant impact on Gran Canaria's energy transition. The six units, each with a capacity of 37 MW, will stabilize the grid by acting as giant natural batteries. During times of surplus energy, water will be pumped from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir. In times of demand, water from the upper reservoir will be released, generating electricity as it passes through the turbine and delivering renewable energy when needed.
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According to Juan Bola Merino, Red Eléctrica's Non-peninsular Territories' System Operation director, “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 percent of the infrastructures are undergrounded.” The project will also improve the guaranteed supply for the island, increasing the installed power capacity and strengthening the security of the electricity system.
Once completed, the power station will increase renewable energy production on the island by 37 percent, 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 percent, which at specific times may be much higher, leading to an additional reduction in annual CO2 emissions of 20 percent.
Moreover, the project will pump water from the sea and desalinate it before it reaches the upper reservoir. The site will also help deliver water leading to agriculture, cattle raising, firefighting, reforestation, and reducing desertification.
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According to Pascal Radue, GE Hydro Solutions President & CEO, “As renewable energy generation from wind and solar is increasing in the Gran Canaria Island, this pumped storage project will help balance the grid by dispatching the energy when needed, still with renewable energy. Hydropower is the largest source of energy storage that exists right now and represents 95% of all energy stored today. Using water from the sea also demonstrates that with ingenuity, hydropower can reach new heights.”
