Spain's first floating photovoltaic plant starts up

The Sierra Brava reservoir, in Cáceres, has begun to generate electricity thanks to the innovative technique of floating photovoltaics.

Harnessing the power of reservoirs to generate electricity, even when their turbines are idle, has been one of the greatest innovations that renewable energy has brought about in recent years. Floating photovoltaic energy, which utilizes large bodies of water for the installation of solar panels to generate power, has marked a milestone with the first installation of this type of electricity generation source in Spain. It was in Extremadura—a land of reservoirs—specifically at the Sierra Brava reservoir in Cáceres, where Acciona has developed, in just a few months, an installation that will occupy 12,000 m².²of this swamp.

The plant, which has received technological support from other companies specializing in electrical power solutions, such asOrmazabalThe facility, which has been equipped with a digital step-up transformer and sensors for uploading operational data, occupies only 0.07% of the total reservoir area but has an installed solar capacity of 1,125 MWp. Thus, this reservoir, built in 1996 and fed by the waters of the Pizarroso stream, will serve as a “technology demonstrator aimed at analyzing the most suitable solutions for optimizing energy production in this type of facility,” according to the company.press releasepublished on their website.

This pioneering installation in Spain joins the ground-mounted photovoltaic innovation complex that Acciona operates in El Romero, Chile. It will serve as a pioneering project for the Spanish company’s future implementation of similar energy solutions worldwide.

The news of this first floating photovoltaic plant becomes the first step inmore projects that could be developedThere are more than 1,200 reservoirs spread throughout Spain, placing the country at the forefront of the European Union and fifth in the world in this type of hydraulic infrastructure, which represents a significant potential for the future development of these facilities, which could help to achieve climate neutrality goals.