ITER’s Board of Directors approves the tender of the contract for the hybrid installation of 5 MW photovoltaic and 5 MWh of storage in Arico.
The Board of Directors of the Instituto Tecnológico de Energías Renovables (ITER), an entity dependent on the Cabildo de Tenerife, has approved the tender for the Mixed Works Contract, with associated supplies and services, in “turnkey” modality for the FOTOBAT 5+5 Project.
This R&D pilot project seeks to improve the integration of renewable energies into the electrical grid through the development of a hybrid system of photovoltaic generation and energy storage. The installation, located in the municipality of Arico, in a plot owned by ITER, consists of a solar photovoltaic plant of 5 MW of nominal power connected to the medium voltage grid, combined with an electrochemical battery storage system with a capacity of 5 MWh.
In addition, the FOTOBAT 5+5 project includes the development of a bidirectional converter and an advanced control system to optimize the operation of this hybrid facility. These systems will be essential to guarantee the correct integration of the energy generated and stored, ensuring the harmonization and stability of the electricity transmission grid, in close coordination with the guidelines of the System Operator, Red Eléctrica (REE).
In this way, and given the current context of grid saturation and the inherent difficulties of island electricity systems, having an installation of these characteristics is vital to improve energy evacuation capacity during generation deficits and to store energy in times of excess.
Thus, the expected benefits of this hybrid installation include the ability to smooth peak demand, maintain a stable load curve, and guarantee power supply in case of contingencies, all of which will contribute to more efficient energy management. In addition, the project will serve as a basis for studying the economic viability of battery storage systems.
With the approval of the ITER Board of Directors, the bidding process will soon be published on the Public Sector Procurement Platform (PLACSP), kicking off a project that promises to have a significant impact on Tenerife’s energy transition and the integration of renewable energies into its electricity grid.
