The entry into operation of the interconnection with Tenerife has made it possible to increase the penetration of the energy generated by the five wind farms on the island
The president, Casimiro Curbelo, reports that more than 9 MW of wind energy has been injected into the network at various times during the month of July, fully covering the island's electricity demand.
The president of the Cabildo of La Gomera, Casimiro Curbelo, has highlighted that the island has reached peaks during the month of July of 100% coverage of electricity demand through renewable energy. This advance occurs after the entry into operation of the single La Gomera-Tenerife electrical system, which has made it possible to increase the capacity for integration into the grid of the energy produced by the five wind farms on the island.
During several days this month, the wind installations of La Gomera have injected more than 9 megawatts (MW) into the electrical system, sufficient production to cover the entire island demand at certain times. In this way, the electricity consumption of homes, companies and public services could be met entirely with wind energy.
Curbelo assured that these data "represent a very important leap in energy matters and demonstrate, from the first weeks of operation, the opportunities that the interconnection opens to improve the penetration capacity of renewable energies in La Gomera." In this sense, he insisted that it is being proven “with facts that the connection with Tenerife not only provides greater security and stability to the electricity supply, but also allows us to take much better advantage of the renewable resources that we produce on the island,” he stated.
The electrical interconnection began operating on July 1, integrating the systems of Tenerife and La Gomera into a single network. This infrastructure puts an end to the electrical isolation of the island and provides a greater response capacity to possible incidents, in addition to facilitating the incorporation of clean energy and the evacuation of renewable surpluses when production exceeds island demand.
The president recalled that, until the launch of the link, the condition of an isolated system limited the amount of renewable energy that could be incorporated at any given time without compromising the stability of the network. “Interconnection allows us to overcome a good part of these restrictions and move towards a more efficient, resilient and sustainable system,” he noted.
The link between both islands connects the Chío substation, in Tenerife, with the El Palmar substation, in La Gomera. It has a double alternating current circuit of 66 kilovolts and a transport capacity of 50 MW, higher than the island's maximum demand. The action has involved an investment of more than 145 million euros and includes an underwater section of more than 36 kilometers.
