Balearic islands are 16% renewable thanks to power link

The electricity interconnection between the Spanish mainland and the Balearic islands, which has been in operation for five years now, has allowed about 16% of the archipelago's power demand to be covered by renewables since 2012, grid operator Red Electrica de Espana (REE) said this week.

The resulting decrease of fossil fuel-based electricity generation has reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) emission by around 285,000 tonnes per year.

As a result of the link, known as the Romulo Project, 23% of the Balearic islands' electricity consumption has been met with generation from the Spanish Peninsula, with that percentage reaching 40% on some occasions in the Majorca-Menorca system.

The submarine interconnection comprises three 237-km (147 mile) direct current (DC) cables between Sagunto, Valencia and Santa Ponsa, Majorca.

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