Chira Soria pumped storage power plant : GE wins pumped storage technology contract

General Electric (GE) and Cobra Infrastructuras Hidráulicas have been awarded a contract by Red Eléctrica pertaining to the 200MW Chira Soria pumped storage power plant in Spain.

As per the contract given by the Spanish national electricity system transmission agent and operator, the consortium will be responsible to provide half a dozen pumped storage turbines of 37MW each to the plant located in Gran Canaria.

The contract’s scope covers the design, supply, transportation, and commissioning of the generators, turbines, as well as main transformers, and electrical balance-of-plant equipment.

The Chira Soria pumped storage power plant is scheduled to be operational by 2027 and will have an energy storage capacity of 3.5GWh.

According to GE, the Chira Soria hydropower project is expected to play a key part in the transition to renewable energy for Gran Canaria. In addition, the six pumped storage units will assist in stabilizing the electric grid in Gran Canaria by serving as huge natural batteries.

The water is taken from a lower reservoir into the upper reservoir during times of excess energy. In times of need, the water from the higher reservoir is released, creating electricity when the water flows through the turbine to eventually generate renewable energy whenever required.

GE said that the pumping of water will be from the sea, which will be then desalinated before being released into the upper reservoir.

GE wins pumped storage technology contract for the Chira Soria pumped storage power plant in Spain. Photo courtesy of IDOM.

Pascal Radue — GE Hydro Solutions President and CEO said: “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.”

When complete, the Chira Soria pumped storage power plant will boost the production of renewable energy for the entire Gran Canaria Island by 37%, in comparison to the amount of energy produced in the absence of this facility.

Juan Bola Merino – Red Eléctrica Non-peninsular Territories’ System Operation director said: “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% 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.”