Magtel, a company based in Córdoba, has received provisional approval from the Ministry for Ecological Transition for its Ballesta Reversible Hydroelectric Plant project. The €500 million initiative, featuring a capacity of 289 MW/2.5 GWh, will be integrated with solar power capacity of 229 MW. Located in a former mining area in Espiel, the project is part of a broader strategy to develop innovative energy storage solutions and is aligned with regional efforts to transition from thermal energy. Additionally, Magtel is planning another reversible hydro plant at the Grandas de Salime reservoir, which will further enhance its role in renewable energy generation.
The €500 million, 289 MW/2,554 MWh Ballesta pumped hydro project will be colocated with solar arrays with a total generation capacity of 229 MW. The tender award ensures grid connection capacity for a project planned at a disused mining cut in the Córdoban municipality of Espiel. The site, in the Just Transition Zone associated with the closure of the Puente Nuevo thermal power plant, includes 39 km of 220 kV lines to the Lancha electrical substation. Magtel will also develop the three solar projects, to generate power for hydroelectric storage. The Ballesta project is part of Magtel’s “BlueStorage” strategy to develop innovative energy storage solutions.
The Government Delegation in Asturias on Thursday also published details of Magtel’s plans for a €210 million reversible hydroelectric plant in the Grandas de Salime reservoir. The project information was published in the Official State Gazette. Magtel subsidiary Salime Energía wants to build a 3.3 cubic hectometer reservoir with a surface area of 19 hectares a kilometer from the left bank of the Salime reservoir. The underground hydroelectric plant will have a capacity of 265 MW and the “head” (the difference in height between the point where water is collected and where it is released to generate electricity) will be a maximum of 506.42 m.