Follower island: Menorca
Spain
Energy profile:
The local energy sources are biomass, wind and solar power. Until the end of 2017, the primary energy mix is composed by oil derivates (90%, including LPG), natural gas (0,2%), local biomass (1%), local wind (0,3%) and local solar (0,5%), the remaining 8% of the primary energy is the generation mix of the electricity that arrived through the cable.
Current electricity generation capacity in Menorca counts with a thermal power plant operating consisting in three fuel oil engine-generators of 15,8 MW each, 5 gas turbines operating with gasoil, combining for a total power of 271,6 MW. In addition, there is also installed a wind farm of 3,2 MW, and two solar photovoltaic power plants of 1,1 and 4,0 MWp respectively.
The final energy consumed in Menorca in 2013 was 1.574.214 MWh, of which 58,7% was used for transport means. Electricity consumption rose to up to 440.600 MWh, most of it used in the services and residential sectors (47,7% and 45%, of the total electricity demand, respectively). The thermal plant power is enough to cover electricity demand peaks around 120 MW in august.
Grid profile:
Currently, Menorca is isolated from the Balearic island electric system, and it will remain disconnected, at least, until 2020, when the cable for the Mallorca-Menorca link will be substituted.
Menorca counts with a transmission line of 132 kV and five electrical substations (132 kV). The transmission network is operated by Red Eléctrica de España, the Spanish TSO, while the distribution network belongs to Endesa Distribución.
The thermal power plant is owned by Gas y Electricidad Generación, which is part of the Endesa group. The two solar farms are private and the windfarm belongs to a public consortium formed by the 8 municipalities of Menorca and the Island’s Council (Consell Insular).
Goals and objectives:
Potential innovations to be implemented and main challenges:
The use cases from INSULAE that are more aligned with the strategic directive in Menorca are the development of the DC grid for RES to be tested in Bornholm, the EV infrastructure integration to be tested in Madeira and the use of biomass for exploiting synergies between thermal and electrical systems to be tested in Bornholm.
The main challenges for the implementation for these solutions in Menorca arise from the little (currently non-existing) interconnection and the very little penetration of the EV in the island users.