Indar has been awarded a contract by Iberdrola to modernise two generator units at the 132MW Torrejon pumped storage hydroelectric plant, located on the River Tajo, Spain. As part of the modernisation, the plant will be converted to full power variable-speed operation.

Indar’s contract comprises two 45MVA full power variable speed vertical motor-generators, including two INDARGRID excitation systems with rotor monitoring. For the same project, Ingeteam is delivering the two corresponding 50MVA, 6.6kV full power converters through its dedicated Frequency Converter Business Unit.

By modernising and converting these units to full power variable speed concept, INDAR is making an important contribution to more flexible use of hydropower plants and to increase the stability of electric power networks in Europe due to its high level of operating flexibility. Variable speed units offer several advantages for both pumping and generating modes, such as:

Possibility of active power control in pumping mode

Efficiency increase in generating mode especially under partial load

Wide range of operation

Additional energy generated/stored compared to a conventional fixed speed alternative

Network stability improvement by reactive power control, even with all the groups stopped, the full power converter can provide the necessary reactive power to the network

Network stability improvement by instantaneous active power injection in the grid (flywheel effect)

Iberdrola has a total installed electric generating capacity of 52,084MW, in Spain (26,627MW), Mexico (9,532MW), the U.S. (8,361MW), Brazil (4,079MW), the UK (2,520MW) and other European countries (965MW). The company’s renewable technologies include offshore and onshore wind, hydroelectric power, solar photovoltaic and combined cycle.

Indar manufactures rotating electric machinery and submersible motor and pump sets, with production facilities in the U.S. and Spain. The company offers solutions in energy generation (generators for wind, hydro, internal combustion, steam and gas), marine electric propulsion (motors and generators), industrial drives (motors), submersible water pumping (motor pump sets), E-Mobility (electric motors) and grid services (synchronous condensers).

The company is part of the Ingeteam group, specialized in electric power conversion. It offers power and control electronics (inverters, frequency converters, controllers and protections), rotative electric machines (Indar motors, generators and submersible motor and pumps sets), systems (electromechanical engineering and automation projects), and services (operation and maintenance services), for different sectors including hydro.