GE in partnership with Cobra Infrastructuras Hidráulicas, has been chosen by Red Eléctrica to provide six pumped storage turbines for the 200 MW Chira Soria project in Gran Canaria, Spain.
Scope of work includes the design, supply, transportation, and commissioning of the turbines, generators, main transformers, and electrical balance-of-plant equipment. The project is expected to be operational in 2027 and will have an energy storage capacity of 3.5 GWh.
As part of the Chira Soria project, the water used for the pumped storage turbines will be sourced from the sea and desalinated prior to being delivered to the upper reservoir. Once the project is completed, it is expected to boost the island's renewable energy production by 37% above the estimated output that would have been generated without the facility. Additionally, it is anticipated that the average annual renewable energy generation will increase to 51%, which could be even higher during certain periods. This increase in renewable energy production is projected to result in an additional reduction of 20% in annual CO2 emissions.
"Chira Soria is key to the Canary Islands' electricity system,” commented Juan Bola Merino, Non-peninsular Territories’ System Operation director, Red Eléctrica. “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”.
Pascal Radue, GE Hydro Solutions President & CEO, added: “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”
