Spanish state-owned railway company Renfe said that it will invest EUR 26.8 million (USD 28.4m) in a pilot solar power plant to generate traction energy for its trains, a project that will kick off the plan to eventually reach 400 MW of solar photovoltaic capacity in self-consumption mode in Spain.
The pilot plant will have around 20 MW of capacity, operating as a self-consumption system for Renfe to help it achieve greater independence in electricity supply and increase production from renewables. The company, being the sole investor in this project, plans to sell any electricity surplus to the market to secure additional revenues, it said.
The facility will be located in the town of Olmedo where its operation will be analysed for an initial period of five years. Renfe hired Spanish technology firm Magtel to provide research, design, engineering, construction, commissioning and operation services for the pilot project.
The train operator expects the studies at Olmedo to enable it to understand how to incorporate energy storage in its future self-consumption systems.
Renfe’s overall plan is to build 34 solar self-consumption plants all over Spain, with a total combined capacity of 400 MW. The total investment in this initiative is estimated at EUR 350 million, the company added.
(EUR 1.0 = USD 1.059)
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