The Iberian Peninsula will debut its first triple renewable hybrid with a complex that brings together 122 MW of wind, solar and storage capacity , but uses a single grid connection point of approximately 50 MW.
EDP has begun testing the battery storage system at Las Lomillas, in Cuenca, the last technology needed to be incorporated into the site. The BESS system will have a power output of 36 MW and a capacity of 72 MWh , allowing it to operate for two hours at maximum discharge.
The project takes advantage of the electrical infrastructure of a 49.5 MW wind farm installed in 2005. Two decades later, 36 MW of photovoltaics were added, and now storage is being added, without the need to develop a new evacuation point for each technology.
The key is not to inject all 122 MW simultaneously, which would be prevented by the connection limit, but to coordinate production to use that capacity for more hours and reduce the periods in which the infrastructure remains underutilized.
An energy management system installed in the substation will determine when it is convenient to send solar and wind power production directly to the grid, store it in batteries, or charge the BESS with electricity from the system itself to later discharge it.
Decisions will be made using algorithms and under the guidance of EDP's energy management teams and control center. The goal will be to keep injection within available capacity and prioritize the most efficient alternative at any given time.
The combination allows for the use of different generation profiles. Wind can provide energy at night or during periods of low solar irradiance, while photovoltaics concentrate their production during the day. Batteries add the possibility of transferring some of that surplus energy to other periods.
With this configuration, the complex will be able to better adapt its output to the needs of the market and the electrical system. While it doesn't eliminate renewable variability, storage allows for ramp control, reduced curtailment, and a faster response to changes in demand or generation.
The commissioning of the BESS will turn Las Lomillas into a partially manageable facility, capable of deciding not only how much to produce, but also when to deliver part of the available energy.
“It is a model that contributes to more efficient management, by allowing renewable production to be adapted to the needs of the electricity system and making the most of the capacity of the connection point,” explained Miguel Stilwell d'Andrade, CEO of EDP.
The executive considered that the experience could be replicated in other assets, although he noted that to do so it will be necessary to streamline the administrative procedures associated with hybridization and storage.
The project addresses one of the main bottlenecks of the Spanish energy transition: the scarcity of access and connections available in areas with high renewable resources.
Compared to building new lines and substations, hybridization allows for increased use of existing assets. This can reduce time, limit additional investments, and lessen the territorial impact of network expansion.
The model also improves the use of permits, land, roads, control systems and other facilities already built for the original park.
Las Lomillas began operating as a wind farm with 33 wind turbines. In 2025, it added the photovoltaic plant and, with the incorporation of the BESS (Basic Energy Storage System), it will complete its evolution from a single-technology asset to a hybrid complex with three technologies.
Storage received a maximum aid of €6.2 million within the IDAE program for innovative projects hybridized with renewable generation facilities, financed through the NextGenerationEU funds.
Triple hybridization aims to get more performance out of existing networks
The significance of Las Lomillas is not limited to its capacity. The project serves as a test case for a model in which various technologies share infrastructure and are coordinated as a single asset within the electrical grid.
The installation has a higher nominal power output than evacuation capacity, but the wind and solar profiles do not usually reach their peak levels simultaneously. This complementarity allows for increased annual grid usage without exceeding its technical limit.
When combined production exceeds available capacity, batteries can absorb some of the energy. The system can then discharge this energy when grid capacity becomes available or market conditions become more favorable.
Coordinated operation can also smooth out power fluctuations caused by sudden changes in wind or solar radiation. In this way, the complex will offer a more predictable output than independently operated plants.
EDP already has almost 1 GW of hybrid power capacity in Spain and Portugal. With Las Lomillas, it will exceed 260 MW under these schemes in the Spanish market.
The company operates other facilities that combine wind and solar power in Cruz de Hierro, Villacastín, Castillo de Garcimuñoz, and Rabosera. However, none of them simultaneously integrate both energy sources with storage.
In Portugal, its hybrid portfolio is approaching 700 MW and includes Alto Rabagão, Alqueva, Mina de Orgueirel, Monte de Vez, and Charneca das Lebres. Alqueva also combines hydroelectric, floating solar, and battery storage.