Wind Farms

Nowadays, ITER has three different Wind Farms: the Experimental Platform, one 4,8 MW Farm and one 5,5 MW Farm.

On the whole, the three Farms have got an annual energy production of 36.764 MWh/año. This generation avoids the consumption of 3.169.100 kg or 3169.1 tons of fuel, that would be needed to generate the same amount of energy with a conventional power plant. It avoids the emission of 29.411 tons of CO2, 198.5 tons of SO2, 73.5 tons of NOx and 4.4 tons of CO per year as well.

ITER Wind Farms are located in the Industrial Farm of Granadilla, and they have been built respecting the bordering lands of Montaña Pelada Natural Farm. The nearest population centre is several kilometres away, so that the minimum distance from Wind Farms required by law is respected. This obligation is due to the possible noise generation.

The generated energy is sold to the local electric company, UNELCO, which distributes it throughout the island.

Based on the published data in the official statistics of the regional Ministry of Industry of the Government of the Canary Islands (data of the year 2006), the wind production in ITER Wind Farms represents 35% of the whole wind production of Tenerife, contributing significantly to the renewable energetic production of the island.

2.83 MW Experimental Platform

The experimental Platform was financed with the cooperation of several organizations (Cabildo de Tenerife, the Canary Islands Government, UNELCO and the European Union).

It was installed with the aim of testing the performance of different wind turbines, regarding their origin, manufacture and technology.

Each wind turbine uses a different technology: horizontal and vertical axis turbines, fixed and variable pitches, synchronous and asynchronous generators. They show outstanding differences in diameter and height as well: diameters between 25 and 40 metres and heights between 25 and 42 metres.

On the whole, this Farm has a 2.83 MW nominal power.

ITER and ECYR have singed a cooperation agreement for the re-powering of the above mentioned wind turbines. The re-powering will allow the maximization of the wind’s potential in the area by substituting the obsolete technology for new one, installing one 200 kW wind turbine ENERCON E-70.

The Platform consists of 9 different wind turbines, whose power vary between 150 and 500 kW.

Wind turbines:

4.8 MW Wind Farm

The 4.8 MW Wind Farm was installed in 1996 by "EÓLICAS DE TENERIFE", a partnership shared by ITER (50%), MADE and UNELCO. It was subsidized by MINER.

At the beginning, it consisted of 16 MADE AE-30 wind turbines, each one with 300 kW nominal Power, having the Farm a total power of 4.8 MW and an energy production of 11 GWh. This model of turbine was one of the tested ones in the Experimental Platform.

In 1999, the Wind Farm was modified due to several reasons. On one hand, the noise level produced by the turbines was too loud taking into account the nearness of two new installations, the Visitors Centre and the Bioclimatic Dwellings complex. On the other hand, the Farm consisted initially of two rows of wind turbine so that a shadow effect was generated reducing the production of the Farm. Finally, the last reason to change the turbines was that the available terrains were already limited by the existing installations.

Therefore, the aim of the modifications was to reduce the acoustic impact, improving at the same time the efficiency and production of the Farm. To do this, the sixteen MADE AE-30 turbines were replaced by eight MADE AE-46 turbines, each one of 600 Kw power. The annual production is of 14 GWh.

Shadow effects were reduced removing the first row of turbines from the former configuration of the Farm. The new distribution was made using the already existing paths, respecting always the limits of Montaña Pelada Natural Farm.

Concerning to the efficiency and production improvement of the turbines, a research developed by MADE Energías Renovables, S.A., concluded that the available winds at 45 metres high was of 8-9 m/s and that at 30 metres the wind was of 7.5-8.5 m/s. This means that increasing the height of the rotor, the production of the AE-46 turbines increases in relation to the AE-30 turbines.

Eólicas de Tenerife AIE has requested the administrative authorization and approval of the project for the Re-powering of the Granadilla III Wind Farm, by means of the existing wind turbines replacement (8 turbines of 600 kW MADE AE 46) for 4 wind turbines ENERCON E-82.

5,5 MW Wind Farm

This Farm, installed in 1998, was self-financed by ITER. It consisted of eleven 11 ENERCON E-40 turbines with 500 kW of nominal power and each one has its own transformation station.

The estimated annual energy production is of 16, 5 GWh.

A new Wind Farm of 9, 75 MW (5 ENERCON E-70 of 2 MW each one) is planned to be installed in Granadilla industrial estate, which would replace the current wind turbines of the Experimental Platform: