Red Eléctrica to construct batteries for Balearic transmission interconnection
Image courtesy 123rf
Red Eléctrica, the Redeia subsidiary responsible for electricity operations and transmission in Spain, is set to instal batteries at the Sant Antoni 66 kV substation, which will maximise the use of the existing link between Mallorca and Ibiza.
The battery system is designed as a fully integrated element of the transmission grid, maximising the contribution of the Balearic Islands’ interconnected electricity system links, specifically the Mallorca-Eivissa link.
The infrastructure consists of two battery systems totalling 90MW (two sets of 45MW) of power and 67.5MWh (two sets of 33.75MWh) of energy capacity, making it the largest SATA (Storage as Transmission Asset) system in the southern European Union and the first of its kind – along with the one already under construction in Es Mercadal (Menorca) – to be built in Spain.
The batteries will be connected to the existing Sant Antoni 66 kV substation, a strategic point in Ibiza’s electrical system to reinforce its power supply to the south and east of the island. The project will be carried out on land adjacent to the existing substation, following an agreement reached with the owner.
Red Eléctrica will invest €76 million ($85.2 million) in the project, with work expected to be complete in the first half of 2026.
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The project design is based on a process of dialogue with the institutions – the Balearic Islands Government, the Ibiza Council and the Sant Antoni Town Hall – and with the residents of the adjacent properties. According to these discussions, says Red Eléctrica, various measures have been adopted to fine-tune the implementation of the infrastructure and reinforce its landscape integration.
Among the most significant improvements is the 12% reduction in the total number of modules, which will also be smaller than initially planned, halving the physical space required for civil works.
This adjustment to the layout, combined with the fact that a larger area of land has been allocated than was strictly required for the project, which will allow for greater on-site storage capacity, will significantly reduce truck traffic and material use.
The perimeter of the infrastructure will also be screened for vegetation, and the modules will be oriented and arranged on two levels—with the largest elements on the lower level—to minimise their impact on neighbouring properties and the road.
Construction work will be carried out under ongoing archaeological supervision throughout the project and will focus, first, on fencing and preparing the site. The earthworks will then begin, with the aim of adapting the site to the two levels on which the various elements will be arranged. The existing dry-stone walls will also be dismantled and stored, and will be reused for the final enclosure.
Subsequently, the civil engineering phase will begin with the laying of foundations to prepare for the installation of all the battery system equipment. In the final phase—expectedly in the last quarter of 2025—the batteries will arrive in Ibiza and their assembly can begin.
In the area of biodiversity conservation and promotion, a partnership has been established with IbizaPreservation to develop a project for the conservation of the Pitiusan lizard (Podarcis pityusensis) in Sant Antoni de Portmany.
In a preliminary phase—required before the start of construction—a survey and mapping of the plot where the batteries will be located has been carried out, and the specimens have been moved to a temporary shelter adapted to their needs, which has been installed in the area.
