As on 15 June every year, tomorrow is the day for celebrating Global Wind Day. A day when we can all look at wind energy and see its possibilities to change the world. Wind technology has developed significantly over the last two decades. Endesa is one of the most innovative companies in this field and every day it applies more innovation not only in the construction of new wind farms, but also in those already in operation.
Innovation during construction
Through its renewable subsidiary Enel Green Power España (EGPE), Endesa is currently building one of the most innovative wind farms in Spain. These are the Campillo I, II and III wind farms whose construction began at the beginning of this year and which is presenting a significant challenge, since they will eventually constitute the company's largest wind farm in Spain, with a capacity of 250 MW of renewable power.
These installations are located in the municipalities of Campillo de Altobuey, Enguídanos, Puebla del Salvador, Castillejo de Iniesta, Iniesta and Minglanilla and will employ more than 350 professionals during construction which is expected to last throughout the year. What makes this installation innovative is that it is the first time that Endesa will install wind turbines with a concrete tower, made up of parts that are being manufactured on site and that are assembled as if they were pieces in a puzzle. The reason this technology is being used is because the mills are 120 metres high with blades that are 77.5 meters in length and to transport them will also require innovative technology involving specialised machinery and large tonnage for transport and subsequent placement.
The construction of these plants requires a new management framework, called "Alianza". This is the result of a collaboration agreement between the main contractors for the Campillo project to ensure the work is undertaken correctly, as well as a commitment with regard to Shared Value, guaranteeing the transfer of materials that are residual to the job and that may interest us for the construction of an insect hotel, the first of its kind in Castile-La Mancha.
Innovation during operation
Once each Endesa wind plant becomes operational, innovation is still present, seeking the best solutions to make the installations as efficient as possible and to achieve maximum coexistence with the environment. In this regard, through its renewable subsidiary EGPE, Endesa launched an innovative lightning protection system in 6 wind turbines at the Montagull wind farm in Catalonia in the municipalities of Llorac, Talavera and Santa Coloma de Queralt (Tarragona). This system has passive devices that enable the generation of a system to protect against atmospheric discharges by preventing them from impacting on the wind turbine.
Endesa and EGPE are also developing innovative initiatives for a better coexistence with the environment and in this regard experiments are being made worldwide with a pioneering laser system for the protection of birds in the Canary Islands. The system is giving good results and it enables the wind turbines to be stopped if necessary. Another 2 systems based on different technologies but with the same purpose will be validated in the Motilla (Cuenca) and El Campo (Zaragoza) wind farms in the coming weeks.
There are also innovative mechanisms for the protection of chiroptera both in wind farms and also in solar and hydroelectric plants. This species, considered essential for the environment, enjoys maximum protection in Endesa's renewable installations
Endesa's innovation managers are also working on innovative systems that enable these renewable giants to be inspected and cleaned. This involves experimentation in the company's wind farms with a robotic system for inspection processes on the exterior and interior of the blades. It is expected to reduce the time taken for these tasks and to ensure greater safety for technicians, and it will even be possible to inspect areas that are barely visible such as the interior of a blade that can be more than 70 metres long.
End of useful life innovation
Endesa has gone a step further with innovation at the end of the useful life of wind blades. In this regard, Endesa is working together with PreZero Spain on the construction of what will be the first wind blade recycling plant in the Iberian Peninsula, with the support of GE Renewable Energy and its subsidiary LM Wind Power. This is an important step towards a circular economy model in the wind sector.
This project will be located in Cubillos del Sil (León province) as part of Endesa's Futur-e Plan for the Compostilla industrial complex, for which the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Regional Government of Castile-Leon recently approved 7 projects to create value in the communities where the decarbonisation process is under way.
The new installation which will begin to be built next year, responds to the challenge of recycling more than 6,000 tons per year of fibreglass and carbon wind blades, applying circular economy criteria to give a second life to blade materials. The project also involves reusing and reincorporating recycled fibreglass, carbon fibre and other by-products of the process back into the wind energy sector and other sectors that may require such composites. The new plant, due to be operational by the beginning of 2024, will create about 30 direct jobs plus indirect jobs associated with logistics tasks.
Endesa's renewable subsidiary, Enel Green Power España, has 110 wind farms in Spain with an installed capacity of 2,602 MW. By autonomous communities, Endesa has one wind farm in Asturias, two in the Valencian Community and Catalonia, 4 in Castile-La Mancha, 14 in the Canary Islands, 14 also in Andalusia, 21 in Castile-León, 23 in Galicia and 29 in Aragón.
About Endesa
Endesa is the largest electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. The company is also the second largest gas operator in Spain. Endesa operates an end-to-end generation, distribution and marketing business. Through Endesa X it also offers value-added services aimed at the electrification of energy usage in homes, companies, industries and Public Administrations. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and strongly supports the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power España, the digitalisation of grids through e-distribución and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR. Our workforce numbers around 9,260 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, Europe’s largest electricity group.