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Articles in ‘Renewable energy in Spain’
Andalusian fields from space
October 2nd, 2009
Image captured by Nasa’s Earth Observatory satellites last month
In a patchwork of agricultural fields outside Seville, Spain, two towers rise above the plain (at the centre of the top of the image). Nearby arrays of mirrors reflect light onto the towers, illuminating the water vapor and dust suspended in the air and creating visible beams. Within the towers, the thermal energy from the concentrated light creates steam, and the steam powers turbines to generate electricity. Known as PS10 and PS20, the mirror-tower networks are part of a larger project intended to meet the energy needs of some 180,000 homes roughly the energy needs of Seville by 2013, without greenhouse gas emissions
Is the future concentrated solar power?
May 28th, 2009
The Guardian claims that concentrated solar power, a field in which Spain leads the way, could generate “quarter of world’s energy”.
“Spain is leading the field on CSP: more than 50 solar projects in the country have been approved for construction by the government and, by 2015, it will generate more than 2GW of power from CSP, comfortably exceeding current national targets. Spanish companies are also exporting their technology around the world.”
Record Spanish wind power record
March 10th, 2009Strong gales last week allowed yet another renewable energy record for Spain with almost 40% of the country’s energy needs being covered by wind turbines for several hours, with a record peak of 11,180mw being produced. Wind power has so far covered 11.5% of demand this year, 30% more than last year. Renewable energies provided 31% of total electricity supply in Spain in February, partly thanks to generous rains that boosted hydroelectric production.
The WWF has praised Spain’s efforts to develop renewable energy over the past 12 years.
Wind power boost for Spain
February 9th, 2009From The Guardian: “Spain’s investment in renewables is paying dividends for distributors whose costs have plunged this year as winds buffet the country.”
Spanish wind power record
December 4th, 2008The record for electricity production from wind power was beaten again on 24th November at around 0500am when around 43% of power in Spain (9,253 MW) was covered. By the end of the year wind power will have covered 11% of Spain’s needs. Spain is the third-largest generator of wind power in the world, with about 16,000 MW of installed capacity with plans for 20,000 MW by 2010.
Juan López de Uralde in El Mundo
And on the topic of wind energy, the largest onshore wind farm in Europe started producing power yesterday today in northern Portugal. The farm is to provide enough electricity for up to a million people. A total of 120 windmills are dotted across the highlands of the Upper Minho region of Portugal which continues to forge its reputation as a renewables champion.
The Guardian
Solar towers in Andalucia
November 24th, 2008The world’s biggest solar tower plant is being built in 30km outside Sevilla. The technology known as concentrated solar power (CSP) reflects sunlight to superheat water at a central tower. Once the plant is opened in January, it will generate 20MW of electricity, enough to power 11,000 homes.
“Spanish firms are charging ahead with CSP: more than 50 solar projects around Spain have been approved for construction by the government and, by 2015, the country will generate more than 2GW of power from CSP, comfortably exceeding current national targets. The companies are also exporting their technology to Morocco, Algeria and the US. “CSP is at the very beginning of a big boom,” said José Luis García, at Greenpeace in Spain. “Spain is in a good position to develop and implement the technology. We have the sun so we are in the best position to lead in this field.”
Read in the Guardian
Threat to important birding site in Extremadura
October 22nd, 2008The area around Sierra Brava Reservoir and Casas de Hitos is one of the most important wintering area for cranes, waterfowl and steppe birds in Extremadura. It is now under threat from the proposed building of several thermosolar power stations, which it appears could very easily be sited elsewhere. As Clive points out on the forum. “It is important to note that the problem here is not the new technology itself for energy production but the poorly researched situation of the proposed plan”. See also SEO’s page in English on this story.
SEO note
- “This will suppose the direct occupation of more than 300 hectares of land, directly on the principal winter roost of the common crane in Europe, with 11,325 cranes registered there last year.
- Those two solar power plants also include a natural gas combustion unit each, to maintain the energy production during cloudy days, which will suppose the installation of both tall chimneys for the evacuation of waste gases and of cooling towers.
- In order to be able to use the energy produced, both power stations will share an electrical substation and a new high voltage power line more than 38 km in lengh, to connect with the grid at Valdecaballeros, and which will affect the entire Vegas Altas del Guadiana zone, including two SPAs.
Martin kelsey of Birding Extremadura has brought this to the attention of iberianature so thanks to him, and he has drafted the following series of letters for you to get in contact with the authorities in Extremadura. Revenue from birding tourism now represents quite a fair of amount for Extremadura and the more people that contest this, the more the Extremaduran authorities are likely to rethink such a poorly planned scheme. Read the rest of this entry
Pelamis wave machine in Portugal
September 27th, 2008
The Pelamis wave farm has just been officially launched after a delay of more than a year. Pelamis takes its name from an ancient word for sea snake, as the machines could be described as giant metal snakes floating in the water. At full production they will be able to generate enough power for 1,500 homes, with 25 more machines set to be installed in Portugal.
- Read on BBC
- Follow the forum thread here
- Wave snakes’ switch on to harness ocean’s power(The Guardian)
“In addition to this flagship wave power, the Portuguese are investing heavily in other renewable technologies. They are already spending £250m on more than 2,500 solar photovoltaic panels to build the world’s largest solar farm near the small town of Moura in eastern Portugal. It will have twice the collecting area of London’s Hyde Park and supply 45MW of electricity each year, enough to power 30,000 homes. In the past three years, the country has also trebled its hydroelectric capacity and quadrupled its wind power sources – northern Portugal has the world’s biggest wind farm with more than 130 turbines and a factory that builds the 40m-long blades. Pinho wants Portugal to rival Denmark or Japan in its commitment to developing renewables industries – he predicts his country will generate 31% of all its primary energy from clean sources by 2020, compared with Britain’s target of 15%. The Portuguese target means increasing the generation of electricity from renewable sources from 42% in 2005 to 60% in 2020.”
Wind farms and nature in Spain
June 18th, 2008A couple of articles on wind farms and their effect on nature and wildlife
One of Spain’s last untouched landscapes, the Sierra de Gata in north-western Extremadura, may shortly be inundated with up to 19 wind farms. The Times
And this piece by Steve West on his very nicely designed Birding in Spain site. “Should the inhabitants of Terra Alta, Montsià and Matarranya, with the great natural and scenic wealth of Els Ports, the serres of Pàndols and Cavalls, the wonderful via verda, the rivers Matarranya, Estrets, Algars (the cleanest in the Mediterranean basin)…should they let it all go and allow the hills to be plastered with wind turbines? ” Birding and sustainable tourism versus windfarms
This topic is also currently being hotly debated on the forum here. Renewable Energy, but at any price?
Wind farm construction in Capercaillie habitat paralysed by judge
June 10th, 2008Judge halts windpark in capercaillie territory
The Regional Government of Castilla y León ordered to explain why they authorised the works
The San Feliz windpark will have to wait. The heavy machinery belonging to the company Producciones Energéticas del Bierzo entered the León side of the Cantabrian Mountains in order to “pave the way” for the wind turbines. They don’t care that the area is one of the few remaining in which the Capercaillie still breeds. The alarm raised by the researchers specialising in this endangered species – there’s even a ringed female that they are monitoring on a daily basis – led the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO) to request the courts to halt the works as an emergency measure. And even though judges are reluctant to take such steps, León’s Court No. 1 for Contentious Administrative Proceedings ruled that the works were to be halted. In his ruling, the judge stated that “the required urgency is crystal-clear”.
News originally found in El País and translated by Technopat on Iberianature forum.
Renewable energy in Portugal
February 22nd, 2008Article here from the BBC on the plans in Portugal for renewable energy. The government wants 45% of the country’s electricity to come from renewables such as wind, hydro, and solar by 2010. “This challenge will create a new industrial revolution,” said Portugal’s economy minister. Amongst the projects under way in Portugal is building of the the world’s biggest solar power farm here below in Moura.
Marine wind farms in Spain
August 3rd, 2007The Spanish government has given the go-ahead for marine wind farms in Spain. The first generators are to come into operation by 2012, with 273 planned for the Straits, giving the same amount of energy as a nuclear power station, and enough for 700,00o homes. Although Spain has 4,872km of coastline and more regular winds than inland, much of the coast is not suitable for marine windfarms as the continental shelf drops away quickly, making it too expensive to site generators (El Pais). We shall have to see the impact studies to see their effect on birds, particularly in the planned farm between Conil and Barbate in the Straits of Gibraltar. Other possible sites include Vinaroz (Castellón), Delta del Ebro and the Golfo de Cadíz.
The rainfall records for Spain keep tumbling. According to the latest provisional figures 
I’ve just come across 
Three Iberian lynxes of the captive breeding programme have died in recent weeks from a renal disease. Lynxes in the wild are thought not to suffer from this disease.