Extremadura aims to store solar energy as if gathering 1,000 electric cars: the project will cost over 7,000,000 euros.

25/09/2026 16:30

Updated to

25/09/2026 16:30

A solar plant that has been generating electricity in Extremadura for years is now undergoing a major transformation. Ieron Solar plans to add electrochemical storage to its facility in Montánchez, Cáceres, so that some of the energy produced during the day can be stored and supplied to the grid at a later time.

The company has begun the process of installing a BESS system with a capacity of 62.5 MWh and a power output of 11 MW, an initiative whose budget exceeds seven million euros. The Junta de Extremadura published the project in the Diario Oficial de Extremadura on September 23, initiating the public consultation period before the project is carried out.

A 62.5 MWh battery along with a plant that is already in operation

This project involves installing ten battery containers within the same area currently used for photovoltaic systems. Together, they will allow storage of some of the electricity generated by the panels, rather than having to immediately discharge all the power produced when solar conditions are favorable.

The planned investment amounts to 7,044,197.96 euros and entails modifying an existing facility that already has its own generation and discharge infrastructure. If approved, Ieron will combine photovoltaic production with energy storage in one location, turning it into a hybrid plant.

Ieron Started as a 13 MW Photovoltaic Plant

The original facility received the preliminary administrative approval in June 2021 to develop a capacity of 13 MW in Montánchez. The approved project consisted of 45,900 panels at 320 W and another 960 panels at 325 W, along with inverters, transformation centers, and the necessary lines to feed electricity into the system.

Subsequently, an expansion of the plant in the municipalities of Alcuéscar and Montánchez was also approved. Documentation from the regional government indicates that this expansion added another 2.6 MWp and connected via an underground line to the existing Ieron facility’s infrastructure.

The project still needs to go through administrative procedures

The announcement issued by the Ministry of Industry, Energy, Science, and Territory does not yet represent final approval for the batteries. What has been initiated is a public consultation process to amend the previous authorization for Ieron and incorporate what is known as BESS Ieron into the existing project.

The main difference from the current configuration will lie in energy management. The facility will be able to continue sending electricity generated by its panels directly to the grid, but it will also have the capability to store a portion in batteries and retrieve it later, adding storage to an already developed renewable infrastructure.