Iberdrola Completes €100 Million Grid Renovation Plan in Valencia, Spain

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 15, Iberdrola announced the completion of the "il·lumina Plan" in Valencia, with a cumulative investment of €100 million to restore, rebuild, and modernize the distribution network damaged in the 2024 floods. The plan deployed more than 1,000 professionals, completed the repair of approximately 20 substations, the renewal of 940 distribution transformer stations, the reconstruction of nearly 460 power towers, and the restoration of more than 108,000 smart meters.

The il·lumina Plan was officially announced in January 2025, with construction work actually commencing at the end of 2024. The first phase of construction included restoring the 132 kV high-voltage facilities in the Catadau and Carlet areas, while simultaneously preparing the equipment required for the medium- and low-voltage grids, distribution transformer stations, and substations. At the time, Iberdrola planned to complete approximately 90% of the construction tasks in 2025 and finish all works within 2026; the latest announcement on September 15 confirmed that the plan has been completed in its entirety.

This renovation covered the high-, medium-, and low-voltage distribution facilities affected by the floods in Valencia. In addition to restoring damaged assets, the works also improved grid automation levels and installed new smart transformers, while implementing measures such as undergrounding certain overhead lines and raising and compacting substations. The related digitalization and grid resilience upgrades serve approximately 650,000 users.

During the floods of October 29, 2024, approximately 180,000 users in areas including l'Horta Sud, Catadau-Carlet, and Requena-Utiel-Buñol in Valencia experienced power outages. Iberdrola's distribution company i-DE mobilized approximately 500 employees and contractor personnel and deployed more than 120 generator sets; about half of the affected supply was restored within approximately 24 hours, about 85% within 48 hours, and essentially all supply was restored after 72 hours. Thereafter, the company moved into the phase of permanent network reconstruction and equipment upgrading.

During project implementation, Iberdrola established a dedicated 35-person project team and set up 5 operational areas and 7 support areas, coordinating approximately 1,000 contractor personnel participating in construction. The scope of works covered multiple levels including substations, transformer stations, transmission and distribution lines, smart meters, and automation equipment.

In addition to this €100 million dedicated renovation, Iberdrola also plans to invest nearly €2 billion in grid construction in the Valencian Autonomous Community through 2031. This round of the il·lumina Plan constitutes a post-flood dedicated recovery and modernization project, while the subsequent €2 billion investment corresponds to the region's long-term transmission and distribution network construction plan.