We sign an agreement with the Iberian Energy Storage Research Centre to develop R&D projects

• The initiatives to be carried out will be related to energy storage, which is key to addressing the challenge of the energy transition.

• The agreement responds to Iberdrola's interest in seeking solutions to achieve greater energy self-sufficiency and decarbonisation of the economy.

Staff from Iberdrola, CIIAE, the Regional Government of Extremadura, the University of Extremadura and the Science and Technology Park of Extremadura at the Campo Arañuelo III photovoltaic plant (Cáceres).

Iberdrola and the Iberian Energy Storage Research Centre of Extremadura (CIAAE) have signed a collaboration agreement with the aim of jointly developing and collaborating on studies and initiatives related to energy storage globally, including, among others, R&D projects, regulatory studies, demonstration projects and training activities.

Energy storage will be key to addressing the challenge of the energy transitionExternal link, opens in new window.  and will become an essential element in the energy system of the future; it enables the quality of electricity supply to be improved and renewable energies to be integrated and harnessed, as well as the electrification of transport. 

The recently created Spanish-Portuguese research centre based in Cáceres is set to become a global reference centre in the entire energy storage cycle, from the physical chemistry of materials to their scaling and application, combining basic research supported by the Public Sector, technological development driven by public-private collaboration and business innovation.

The agreement responds to Iberdrola's interest in seeking solutions to achieve greater energy self-sufficiencyExternal link, opens in new window.  and lower emissions by investing in renewables, grids, storage and green hydrogen and by relying on leading technology centres in the regions where it operates.

As a result of this agreement, the first joint studies are already being carried out, including an in-depth analysis of the potential battery recycling market in the Iberian Peninsula. This study is part of the alliance between Iberdrola, FCC Ámbito and Glencore for the development of a battery recycling plant in Spain, announced this month.

Commitment to innovation and industry

Thanks to a strategy of anticipation that transcends all the company's business units and all its geographical areas, Iberdrola is today the private utility that invests the most in R&D worldwideExternal link, opens in new window. , allocating more than €2 billion in the last decade. 

In this line, the company plans to exceed €4 billion of investment in Research, Development and Innovation (R&D&I) activities by 2030, doubling its investment in this area by the end of the decade. 

Extremadura, a spearhead

Extremadura plays a key role in Iberdrola's renewable expansion in Spain. In total, the energy company has more than twenty renewable facilities in the region with an installed green power capacity of more than 4,000 MW, of which 2,000 MW correspond to the 12 solar plants it has in operation in the region. 

The region is also of particular importance to the company in its development of hydroelectric power. In Extremadura, it has eight hydroelectric plants with an installed capacity of more than 2,000 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy.    

The region will continue to stand out in Iberdrola's development in the coming years. In the 2020-2025 period alone, more than 2,800 MW of renewable energy will have been installed, with an investment of more than €1.7 billion, which will have generated approximately 7,400 jobs in the five-year period. 

The company chaired by Ignacio Sánchez Galán will also soon start up its first solar community in Spain for an entire village in the town of Cedillo in Cáceres. This initiative will enable local residents to reduce their electricity bills by between 30% and 50%, while at the same time contributing to the development of this town and tackling depopulation.

World leader in renewable energy and storage

The Iberdrola group began its commitment to renewable energiesExternal link, opens in new window.  and storage more than two decades ago as a fundamental pillar on which to build a clean, reliable and intelligent business model. 

Thanks to this vision, the company is today a world leader in renewable energies, with 40,000 MW of renewable energy in operation by the end of 2022 and 7,675 MW to be executed in the next four years, and is leading the energy transition towards a low-emission economy.

Iberdrola is also a leader in energy storage with a capacity of 4,473 megawatts (MW) installed using pumped storage technology, and more than 200 megawatts in batteries. At the end of 2022, the company reached 101 gigawatt hours (GWh) of storage capacity.

Its 2025 Strategic Plan External link, opens in new window. envisages investment of €17 billion in renewable businesses. Thanks to these investments, Iberdrola will increase its installed renewable capacity by 12,100 MW to 52,000 MW in 2025 - 3,100 MW of onshore wind, 6,300 MW of photovoltaic, 1,800 MW of offshore, 700 MW of batteries and 200 MW of hydro.