Naturgy has opened a new Remote Control Center (RCC) in Sagunto (Valencia), a pioneer in the world, from which it centralizes the operation of the largest combined cycle park in Spain, with a total of 17 production units with a total output of 7.4 gigawatts (GW).
This project, which the energy company has been working on for about three years due to its “complexity” and which represents an investment of around eight million euros, thus allows the “management and operation” of all the variables of the groups and “the optimization of the way they are operated”, explained the director of conventional generation at Naturgy, Luis Zarauza.
The Sagunto CCR represents a technological challenge in the global energy sector and is therefore considered “the iPhone” of combined cycles, as it enables its management, improving flexibility and increasing the efficiency of these power plants. This is crucial to ensuring electricity supply, as was particularly seen in the April 28 blackout that left the peninsular system in the dark, and also favors the penetration and sustainable operation of renewable energy.
In particular, this CCR integrates advanced digital tools, monitoring systems and prediction algorithms based on artificial intelligence, allowing the coordination of complex operations such as starts and stops from Sagunto in all Naturgy bicycle park facilities in the national territory, be it in the oldest groups (San Roque or Besós) or even in those with greater capacity – Cartagena, Palos or Sagunto itself.
It also allows you to optimize the response in providing critical services to the system in real time, all immediately, every day and at all hours of the year.
In fact, the company does not rule out that this remote operation from the center will not only be limited to Spain, but that in the future it may even cover the fleet of combined cycle power plants that the group operates in other countries, for example in Mexico, where it has an installed capacity of more than 2.3 GW in this technology.
The center connects the two entities through which Naturgy manages its renewable electricity: the CCR of La Coruña, which monitors the operation of wind and photovoltaic farms in Spain and Mexico, and the CCI of Ourense, from which the water facilities are monitored.
The general director of Naturgy Networks, Pedro Larrea, highlighted that the group is a “pioneer” in the implementation of a single remote control center that operates the entire generation park with combined cycles, “enabling efficiency and flexibility that set standards in the sector.”
“In recent months, the critical role of flexible generation assets has been highlighted, supporting voltage regulation, responding to emergencies and compensating for the disappearance of PV energy at night and during peak demand,” he added.
KEY ROLE SINCE THE BLACKOUT.
And the fact is that combined cycles – electrical production facilities that convert natural gas energy into electricity by combining two sequential generation processes using a gas turbine and a steam turbine – have reaffirmed this year their value in this role of responsiveness to ensure safety conditions for the electrical system, having been crucial in recent months in replacing service after the blackout or in daily operations to ensure security of supply while facilitating the penetration of renewable energy.
With this system support, these assets are critical to the provision of a variety of critical services due to their high availability and flexibility to the electrical system to ensure supply every day and at all times.
A clear example of this role taken in recent months is that in November combined cycles were the first technology to generate the electricity mix, contributing 23.6% of national generation through energy on the wholesale market and adjustment services for the grid operator.
In fact, the Spanish combined park recorded a production of more than 40 terawatt hours (TWh) by November, 33% more than last year.
More than 3,000 launches this year, quadrupling the 2019 numbers.
In the specific case of the Naturgy bike park, more than 3,000 starts are recorded this year, a number quadrupled compared to 2019, and the forecast for next year is that these numbers will be maintained.
Thus, the combined cycles of the first gas company and the third largest electricity company in Spain will record a production of about 15 TWh in 2025, both for the energy sold on the wholesale markets and, in particular, for the adjustment services requested by Red Eléctrica de España (REE).
The group, chaired by Francisco Reynés, invests around 100 million euros in its portfolio of combined cycle plants every year to keep the plants in perfect condition.
In 2025, due to the higher level of operation of these facilities, the investment will exceed 120 million euros, reaching 300 million euros in the overall strategic plan 2025-2027.
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