Galp installs 74 MW of batteries to store energy in Portugal and Spain

• Batteries under construction in Alcoutim (60.5 MW / 120.4 MWh) and Manzanares (13.4 MW / 26.8 MWh) add to the 5 MW / 20 MWh in operation since the beginning of the year in Alcoutim.

• Two new solar parks in Spain with 115 MW bring the installed solar energy capacity in operation to 1.7 GW.

Galp has begun construction on five energy storage projects with a total capacity of 74 MW/147 MWh, which will enable the company – already one of the main Iberian producers of photovoltaic energy – to also become one of the largest battery operators on the Iberian Peninsula, with 79 MW/158 MWh.

Provided by Sungrow and connected to two of Galp's largest photovoltaic parks, in Alcoutim (Algarve) and Manzanares (Castilla la Mancha), these storage units use Sungrow PowerTitan 2.0 batteries and incorporate grid-forming inverters , which contribute to greater grid stability. The batteries store energy during the day and make it available to the grid during peak consumption periods, especially in the early evening.

"These projects reinforce our contribution to a more sustainable Iberian energy system, combining renewable generation with cutting-edge energy storage solutions and 24/7 dispatch operations," says Georgios Papadimitriou, Galp's executive director responsible for Renewables. "By creating the capacity to supply clean energy, even during critical periods of peak demand, we are actively promoting a more sustainable, reliable, and accessible electricity system for all," he concludes.

In Portugal, Galp is developing a set of four storage systems with a combined capacity of 60.5 MW / 120.4 MWh (2-hour batteries) integrated into its Alcoutim solar farms. These projects, financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan through Component C21 – REPowerEU (see project details), are an expansion of the 5 MW / 20 MWh project, successfully operating since early 2025 in Alcoutim.

In Spain, Galp will install a 14 MW / 28 MWh storage system in Manzanares, in the Castilla-La Mancha region.

24/7 operation through the Galp Control Center

The operation and optimization of these systems will be ensured by Galp's Control Center, a dispatch center approved by REN and REE, in Portugal and Spain, respectively. This center centralizes real-time management of photovoltaic parks, storage units, and industrial consumption, maximizing the value of the energy produced. This center manages not only Galp's asset portfolio, but also those of third parties.

By integrating battery systems with grid-forming inverters into an advanced operating model, the Dispatch Center enables Galp to actively participate in various energy markets and system services, such as fast frequency reserve, voltage regulation, and synthetic inertia services. It is already operating manual and automatic frequency restoration reserves (mFRR and aFRR), as well as voltage regulation. This strategic advancement ensures a rapid response to grid needs, increasing the resilience of the electrical system and reducing operating costs for the system and consumers.

More solar energy: Galp reaches 1.7 GW of installed capacity

Galp also continues to expand its solar photovoltaic capacity, having completed two new solar parks in Spain. The first, Toledo & Ahin (Castilla-La Mancha region), has an installed capacity of 65.4 MWp and an estimated annual production of 127,000 MWh. The second, in Almaraz (Extremadura), has a capacity of 49.87 MWp and an annual production of 95,000 MWh.

Together, the two parks are enough to supply approximately 62,000 families and avoid 23,000 tons of CO2 emissions  annually. With these additions, Galp now has 1.7 GW of installed solar photovoltaic capacity.