I-DE, Iberdrola España’s distribution company, introduces students at the University of León to its facilities

• The aim of this initiative is to promote and raise awareness of the company's activity among future professionals in the industry.

A group of 13 Energy Engineering and Electrical Engineering seniors from the University of León visited the Eras de Renueva transformer substation of i-DE, Iberdrola España’s distribution company, located in the capital city of León.

Eras de Renueva, which is located in a compact building that minimises visual impact both due to its design and the fact that the entrances and exits of the power lines are underground, has a 40 megavoltampere (MVA) transformer to convert electrical energy from high voltage -132 Kilovolts (KV)- to medium voltage -13.2 KV-. This transformer is capable of supplying power to 28,000 customers in the northwest part of the city. 

During the visit, the students received a masterclass given by the head of i-DE's UTS León - Zamora, Gregorio Grande, who explained the operation of the different substation equipment, auxiliary services, control, protections and transformers, as well as all of the aspects related to maintenance and the environment.

At the Eras de Renuevas substation, Gregorio showed the students the criteria for identifying an electrical installation, its topology, basic concepts about electricity, the effects of a current on the human body and how to prevent occupational hazards. 

The goal of the visit was to provide the students with a technical overview of a substation as well as to learn about maintenance and safety operations and work organisation to promote and raise awareness about the company's business among future professionals in the industry. The students also asked questions about the facility’s operation, which is owned by Iberdrola España.

Clean energy for a healthy planet 

I-DE is immersed in digitalising the electricity distribution network to provide more information to establish criteria for energy efficiency and sustainability, in a way that is committed to ambitious and urgent climate action. 

The deployment of the smart grid will make it possible to incorporate the 'neural trace' of the grid to offer the public better service. In addition to Iberdrola España's commitment to the decarbonisation of the economy and its substantial investments in innovation and renewable technologies, its climate action plan seeks to actively foster a culture that promotes the efficient and responsible use of energy and to promote climate awareness in the broadest sense.

In Castilla y León, i-DE manages more than 50,000 km of power lines, has 15,697 transformer stations in service and 246 substations. The company maintains a level of service quality in the region that is above the national average, with the best year-end value in history.