Renewable energies and robotics, Endesa's binomial in its installations in Spain

Technicians inside a wind turbine.
  • Endesa is using drones, robots and nano robots in the daily operations in its renewable installations, from solar to wind and hydraulics, and for this it enjoys the support of start-ups around the world.

Renewable plants go beyond the production of clean energy, they are also becoming an experimental centre for the most innovative business fabric, involving start-ups from all over the world that searching for and proposing solutions for the daily activities of these installations.

Endesa has 12 start-ups focussing on the development of robotic solutions, and is collaborating with them in its solar, wind and hydraulic renewable energy plants in Spain. So far this year the company, through its renewable energy subsidiary Enel Green Power Spain, is using drones and robots and their functions include inspecting and cleaning installations, as well as improving infrastructures.

A specific example is Endesa's solar plant in Totana (Murcia) which has become an experimental centre for many of these technologies. Drones have been used to monitor the status of the panels, and different technologies are being experimented with for the automatic cleaning of solar panels, an essential task to improve the performance of the installations.

Totana is also a pioneer in the experimentation of measures to safeguard biodiversity with agrivoltaic crops sown between its panels and an ecological corridor of 8 hectares that enables the preservation of native species such as the Dartford warbler and the little bustard, species in danger of becoming threatened. Local grazing is also the method used for clearing the land naturally, a practice that Endesa is extending throughout its solar installations, but in cases where this is not viable due to access or security issues, innovation once again becomes an important factor.

In this regard, Endesa is collaborating with start-ups around the world to experiment with autonomous robots powered by solar energy, which enable land to be cleared in areas where access is difficult. This methodology is being validated at the Guadarranque photovoltaic solar plant in Cádiz where it is a more sustainable alternative than using herbicides.

"Endesa firmly believes in innovation, and that is why we are continuously looking for start-ups and entities that will enable us to provide innovative and more sustainable solutions to the challenges that we face every day in our sector," said Andrés Sánchez-Biezma, Head of Generation Innovation at Endesa.

But experiments are not only being made in the solar sector, in the wind sector Endesa is using state-of-the-art robots to inspect the infrastructures. Specifically, a climbing robot is being used that has a magnetic system to climb up the shaft of wind turbine that can be up to 100 metres high, and check the state of the joint welds on the tower. A job that will greatly improve the time taken and the safety of the people who work in the operation and maintenance of these installations.  This technology has been validated at the wind plants of Chan do Tenón in Galicia and Valdihuelo in Avila together with the Madrid-based company Scisa, with great success so far.

Another extremely innovative initiative that Endesa is using in its installations is the use of robots for the exterior and interior inspection of wind turbine blades. These multifunction robots would once again make the job easier for the infrastructure inspection teams, reducing lost time for the installation and increasing the safety of workers.

Endesa is also making use of the latest innovations in its hydraulic installations. Specifically in the Moncabril plants between Zamora and Orense, Nuevo Chorro in Málaga and Guillena in Seville, Endesa is working with Spanish start-ups, such as Hovering Solutions and ATES Technologies for the inspection of ducts and underground installations with autonomous navigation drones and remotely controlled land vehicles. Remote controlled underwater vehicles are also being used to inspect submerged infrastructures.

"These systems are giving us greater flexibility, they enable us to enter areas where before it was very difficult and risky to enter undertake inspections, they are devices that make our daily work so much easier," says Sánchez Biezma, who pointed out that "there is so much talent in Spain and throughout the world, we need to take advantage of it and work together".

 

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 the Spanish market. Endesa operates an end-to-end business from generation to marketing and through Endesa X also offers value-added services aimed at the decarbonisation of energy uses in homes, companies, industries and public administrations. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and therefore strongly supports the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power España, the electrification of the economy and Corporate Social Responsibility. The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR. Our workforce numbers around 9,600 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, the largest electricity group in Europe.

Downloads

Press release in pdf

PDF (0.3MB) Download
advise icon go to the advise Facebook icon go to Facebook Twitter icon go to Twitter Youtube icon go to Youtube Messenger icon go to Messenger Linkedin icon go to Linkedin Instagram icon go to Instagram Shared Link icon Go to the shared link Checkmark Success icon Checkmark Success down arrow icon down arrow Previous Go to previous Next Go to the next close icon close add icon add up arrow icon up arrow oblique arrow icon look obliquely Arrow down icon Arrow down search engine icon search search engine icon search share icon share filter icon filter email icon send mail email icon email phone icon phone fax icon fac print icon print play icon play user icon go to the user section error icon an error has occurred info icon information thumb up icon like thumb up icon like thumb down icon don't like thumb down icon don't like clock icon Clock Lamp icon Lamp List icon List Map icon Go to the map Phone icon Phone Emergency icon Emergency Pause icon Pause Play icon Play Logout icon Sign off Phone icon Phone Download icon An icon representing a download Chat icon An icon representing a chat
go back icon go back in navigation number 50 icon go to product Tempo Happy 50 Horas calendar icon go to product Tempo Happy Día companies icon go to the business segment gas icon go to gas product catalog rising sun icon go to Tempo Verde-Renewable Energy product home icon go to the household segment 24 hours icon go to One Luz product electricity icon go to Luz's product catalog electricity and gas icon go to the Luz + Gas product catalog moon icon go to product One night light monkey wrench icon go to breakdowns and repairs sun icon go to Tempo Solar product clock icon go to Tempo Happy products 2 hour clock icon go to Tempo Happy 2 Hours product 24 hours icon go to product One Luz number 50 icon go to product Tempo Happy 50 Hours Medium Voltage power line See product catalog with electricity consumption from € 36,000 to € 360,000 / year High Voltage power line See catalog of products with electricity consumption more than € 360,000 / year company icon go to the business segment calendar icon go to product Tempo Happy Day Property management firms icon go to the Property management firms DarkSite icon DarkSite icon light bulb icon See product catalog with electricity consumption less than € 6,000 / year electricity and gas icon go to the Electricity+ Gas Products catalog electricity icon go to the electrical products catalog email icon email contact fax icon fax contact Low Pressure gas icon see catalog of gas products with consumption of less than € 6,000 / year High Pressure gas icon see catalog of gas products with consumption from € 6,000 to € 240,000 / year Medium Pressure gas icon see catalog of gas products with consumption of more than € 240,000 / year gas icon go to gas product catalog Enel icon go to the enel website heater icon heater maintenance service heater maintenance icon go to maintenance service OKGas Heater home icon go to the household segment pressure cooker icon pressure cooker monkey wrench icon go to breakdowns and repairs Medium Voltage power line icon see catalog of electricity products with consumption from € 6,000 to € 36,000 / year moon icon go to product One Night Light sphere icon go to personal website phone icon telephone contact rising sun icon go to Tempo Verde-Renewable Energy product solar panel icon go to photovoltaic solar energy clock icon go to Tempo Happy products black handyman icon with thumb down selected the reaction "I don't like it" little hand icon with thumb down select the reaction "I don't like it" black hand icon with thumb up selected the "like" reaction little hand icon with thumb up select the "like" reaction
Añadir otro equipo eléctrico Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Eliminar equipo eléctrico Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Aspiradora Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Horno Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Lavadora Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Lavavajillas Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Microondas Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Plancha Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Punto de recarga vehículo eléctrico Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Radiador eléctrico Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Secadora Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Split Aire Acondicionado Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Termo Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Tostador Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Vitrocerámica Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Power edit Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Map marker Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit.