The Spanish island will completely switch to alternative energy sources by the end of the year

The largest wind turbine in Spain, 154 meters in height, 62.5 m - the length of the blades. Located on about. Gran Canaria.

Energy independence is the dream of many regions. Most of all in this regard, those regions where there is where to draw energy are lucky. It can be the heat of the earth (Iceland and Japan, for example), the sun (deserts, semi-deserts, tropics), wind and waves / tides.

The Spanish island of El Hierro (the smallest island in the Canary Islands group) is just lucky in this regard, there is sun, wind, and tidal waves. True, they are not going to use solar and geothermal energy (for now), but they will use the energy of wind and tides. It is planned to achieve 100% energy independence of the island by the end of this year.

It is by the end of the year that it is planned to bring the newly built wind-tidal power plant to full capacity, and this power station will be able to supply energy to all households on the island (there are 11 thousand inhabitants in total).

The station uses two types of turbines - wind turbines, and tidal turbines. The capacity of the entire station is 11.5 MW, and the peak energy consumption by residents and enterprises of the island is only 8 MW.

The station itself and the corresponding infrastructure "delayed" 80 million euros, which investors (this state and private business) are going to return in 20 years.

In Spain, alternative energy sources, especially wind, are very actively used. Here are the ranking of energy sources in Spain:

• Wind farms - 20.9%
• Nuclear power plants - 20.8%
• Thermal power plants (on coal) - 14.6%
• Hydroelectric power stations - 14.4%
• Combined cycle power plants - 9.6%
• Solar energy - 3.1%

Via phys