Masdar and Endesa begin construction of $28m battery storage projects in Spain amid clean energy push

Abu Dhabi clean energy company Masdar and Spanish utility company Endesa have begun building three battery storage projects in Spain, as part of a push to integrate more renewable energy into the country's grid. The investment in these projects, located in Ardila, La Vega I and La Vega II, totals $28.3 million, according to Masdar.

The new installations will add 60.16 megawatts of battery storage capacity and 120.34 megawatt-hours of storage to solar farms in Extremadura and Andalusia. Upon completion, the projects are set to be operational by the end of next year and will generate 50 jobs. Battery storage systems provide flexible energy to the grid by storing power during low-demand periods and releasing it during peak times, helping to balance and stabilize the intermittent supply from renewable sources and boost clean energy generation.

Masdar's acting chief operating officer, Ibraheem Almansouri, stated that Spain's rapid economic growth requires a secure and resilient power supply, and that these projects will contribute to integrating more clean power into the grid and enhancing the stability of the electricity system. Spain, along with other European nations, aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and has set a target of 81% renewable electricity generation by 2030, with wind power capacity reaching 62 gigawatts and solar capacity of 76 gigawatts.

Masdar, which currently operates 4.1 gigawatts of capacity across the Iberian Peninsula, has an ambitious goal of reaching 100 gigawatts of portfolio capacity by 2030. The company recently began construction on its first project in Malaysia, a 200MW floating solar development, and has also launched a battery storage system project in Rochdale, UK.