Abu Dhabi’s Masdar and Spanish utility Endesa have begun construction on three battery energy storage projects in Spain, the companies announced, marking the first storage developments under a partnership formed in 2024 when Masdar acquired a stake in a portfolio of Endesa’s Spanish photovoltaic assets.
The three projects, Ardila in Fregenal de la Sierra (Badajoz) and La Vega I and La Vega II in Teba (Málaga), will together deliver 60.16 MW and 120.34 MWh of storage capacity attached to existing solar plants in Extremadura and Andalusia. Combined investment across the three sites stands at €25.2 million.
All three systems will deploy lithium iron phosphate batteries fitted with grid-forming inverters, a configuration that generates synthetic inertia, mimicking the response profile of conventional thermal or hydro generation and reacting almost instantly to fluctuations in grid conditions.
Ardila is the largest of the three, providing 36.10 MW and 72.20 MWh of capacity across 12 battery containers, equivalent to the daily electricity consumption of around 8,100 Spanish households. La Vega I and La Vega II will each deliver 12.03 MW and 24.07 MWh across four containers per site, together covering the equivalent daily consumption of around 5,400 households.
“Spain is one of Europe’s fastest-growing major economies and this growth requires secure, resilient power. These projects will help integrate more clean power into the grid and strengthen the stability of the electricity system. They demonstrate how strategic partnerships can accelerate the deployment of advanced energy technologies, strengthen grid resilience and support sustainable economic growth, and they build on the strength of our partnership with Endesa while expanding our Iberian portfolio. We look forward to continuing to invest in Spain and to supporting the country’s economic ambitions,” Dr. Ibraheem Almansouri, Acting COO, Masdar said in a statement.
Construction is expected to generate 50 jobs across the three sites. The partners have committed to sourcing inverters, auxiliary systems, communications and integration from European suppliers.
At Ardila, Masdar and Endesa will also work with Fregenal de la Sierra Town Council on local community projects, with a portion of the budget set aside for training. Technical research will be conducted with CIRCE and the Institute for Research in Technology at Comillas Pontifical University, covering grid-forming operation studies and on-site testing.
All three projects are expected to be operational by end of 2027.
Masdar currently operates 4.1 GW of capacity across the Iberian Peninsula, with around 1 GW in development. The company has set a target of 100 GW of global renewable capacity by 2030.
