Iberdrola’s plans for a new reversible pumped-storage hydroelectric plant in Alcántara, Spain, have cleared a major hurdle after receiving approval from the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge. The ministry issued a favourable Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), allowing the project to move forward and securing its grid access. The next step is obtaining prior administrative authorization.
The Alcántara II plant, located in Extremadura, will have a 440 MW capacity and provide 16 million kWh of reversible energy storage, sufficient for the daily consumption of more than four million people.
Once completed, it is expected to supply over 1,000 GWh annually and help reduce CO2 emissions by an estimated 355,000 tonnes per year.
Designed to integrate with the existing water management systems on the Tagus River, Alcántara II will use two reversible turbines with a combined capacity of 220MW. It will utilize a 0.9 km underground hydraulic circuit to link the Cedillo lower reservoir with the Alcántara upper reservoir. The facility has been planned with minimal environmental impact in mind, including underground hydraulic circuits and a subterranean power plant shaft, and it will reuse the same water for its operation, ensuring no impact on other users of the river.
Iberdrola has emphasized the environmental measures taken for Alcántara II, which aim to protect local wildlife and promote biodiversity. “The set of measures adopted to protect birdlife, terrestrial fauna, aquatic fauna and local flora stand out,” Iberdrola noted, also mentioning that recycled materials will be used to promote the circular economy.
The project has received a €44.9 million grant from the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE), awarded for its “economic viability and technical characteristics enabling the integration of renewables,” as well as for its role in advancing the EU’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
