Earlier this year we announced the sale of our first BESS (battery energy storage system) in Scotland, UK. This sale was the first storage project success for Hive and is a green technology that we resolved to explore further in our global project development.
In recent months, the Spanish team has adopted a strong pipeline of battery storage projects.
We already have six storage projects in our pipeline across Spain with a total capacity of around 270 MW. These are all early-stage projects that the team are working hard to develop, but we have recently received the positive point connection for our first storage project in the region.
The impact of peninsular territories on green energy adoption
The implementation of renewably sourced energy generation systems requires immediate attention. Re-powering and renovating useful end-of-life systems, storage system installation, improved grid management, and firm power generation will all contribute to the diversification of energy dependence and overall CO2 emissions reduction in Spain.
In Spanish peninsular systems, the percentage of electricity production from renewable energy sources stood at 45.5% in 2020. In non-peninsular territories, this percentage was significantly lower, around 13.8%, as electricity demand was mostly sourced from fossil-fuelled thermal technologies.
Due to the isolated nature (and fundamentally small size) of electricity system singularities in non-peninsular territories, there are more difficulties when it comes down to the integration of electricity production from renewable energy sources. This is why an adequate renewables integration is necessary. Integration, in this case battery storage for renewably sourced power, is what makes it possible to supply firm power while reducing dependence on fossil fuels and energy cost overruns.
The Balearic Islands is the Spanish territory where energy storage is an urgent need in order to meet the European Union’s renewable energies integration requirements and grid stabilisation. This is a problem that needs to be solved immediately. Hive’s storage projects have been strategically planned to support the necessity for storage in the region.
A first for Hive in Spain – The Puntiró storage project
In a first for our Spanish project team, we have achieved a positive point of connection for the 41 MW storage project in Puntiró. This is the first stand-alone battery storage system developed by Hive Energy in Spain and the first for us in the Balearic Islands.
The project is a fantastic example of Hive’s commitment to global decarbonisation. We are adopting a variety of green technologies to contribute to the transition away from fossil fuels and on to a clean energy system.
The Puntiró development is part of our larger “Smart Islands” project, in which Hive is working alongside HESSTec, NHOA, and Ethical Power as strategic partners for the innovative smart systems grid deployment. This will improve monitoring, control, and automation, making demand management more effective. Each of our partners are Spanish or European companies with recognised technological capacity and an important industrial traction in Europe.
The Hive Spain Storage team is continuing to work hard, and we will share more news about their projects soon.
