Spain's Iglesias Wind Farm Granted 30.3 MW Energy Storage in June 2026

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Boreas Wind SL, part of Spanish energy group Iberdrola, will add a lithium-ion battery energy storage system to its Iglesias wind farm in the province of Burgos, with a capacity of 30.3 MW and a storage duration of 4 hours. The project has been granted prior administrative authorization and construction permits by a resolution of the Spanish Directorate General for Energy Policy and Mines dated June 17, 2026.

The Iglesias wind farm currently has an installed capacity of 70.4 MW, consisting of 11 turbines distributed across the municipalities of Iglesias, Hontanas, Los Balbases, and Tamarón. Developer Boreas Wind SL is headquartered in Valladolid.

The introduction of batteries stems from the wind farm's grid export capacity constraints. Project documents show that some of the turbines' generation exceeds the grid connection capacity approved for the original facility, resulting in surplus energy that cannot be exported through the connection point. With the BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) in place, electricity during these periods is no longer curtailed but stored for later use.

The system, named "BESS Hibridación PE Iglesias," has a power rating of 30.3 MW and a storage duration of 4 hours, and will be connected to the 70.4 MW Iglesias wind farm. When the available capacity at the connection point is insufficient to export the full generation output, this solution enables management of a portion of the generated electricity.

The system charges during periods of low demand or when generation exceeds export capacity, and discharges during periods of high demand or supply interruptions, using artificial intelligence to identify the appropriate times to release stored energy. The batteries will be integrated into the wind farm's operation without altering the generating capacity of the 11 turbines.

The project also includes the installation of a 30 kV underground line and the expansion of the PE Iglesias substation to a 30/220 kV configuration. Electricity will be transmitted from this substation to the Villalbilla 220 kV connection point on the transmission network of Red Eléctrica de España (REE), the Spanish grid operator.

Boreas Wind SL has obtained the two permits required to proceed to the construction phase: prior administrative authorization, which approves the project from an energy and electricity perspective, and construction administrative authorization, which permits the implementation of the BESS modules and associated facilities. Both authorizations were granted in a single administrative procedure in June 2026, based on Royal Decree 1955/2000, Electricity Sector Law 24/2013, and Royal Decree 997/2025, the latter of which determines the storage capacity.

On the environmental front, the project received a favorable report in August 2025 through a simplified environmental impact assessment, without requiring the full assessment procedure, with favorable reports issued by all consulted regional and local administrative bodies. The company already holds the environmental permit, but must still obtain the operating administrative authorization before the facility can be commissioned. The approved resolution also imposes specific conditions for the construction phase concerning archaeological heritage, requiring archaeological monitoring during earthworks.