Final RECET Project Meeting Among Solar Power Plants in Menorca

The RECET project group met in the second week of March on the island of Menorca, off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. Menorca is part of the Balearic Islands, though sun‑seeking travellers are more familiar with its neighbours Mallorca or Ibiza. This was the final in‑person meeting of the project, and the group jointly laid out the plans for the final months of the project which concludes in September this year.

Representatives attended from Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, Slovenia, as well as the hosts, locals working for CIME (Consell Insular de Menorca). Participants shared their experiences and lessons learned and presented the current status of their work. The participants have now made significant progress toward achieving the project’s goals, all of which, in one way or another, focus on supporting the development of regional climate and energy‑transition plans in their home regions.

CIME also took the opportunity to host an open meeting on opportunities for the energy transition, focussing on more aspects than only renewable energy generation. Topics such as transportation, mode shift and ongoing projects related to the development of solar power plants, especially rooftop installations where energy can be shared through energy communities were covered. Representatives from the RECET project led a workshop on energy communities, the use of hydrogen in transportation and the development and implementation of climate and energy‑transition plans. These meetings were well attended by local residents, as well as lectures about energy efficiency in buildings, with success examples from Ibiza, and electric mobility highlighting successes from Iceland.

Solar power plant on Menorca highlighted the island’s growing focus on renewable energy and the integration of solar infrastructure with the local landscape.

The group also took the opportunity to learn about Menorca’s energy system. The island has a population of around 100,000 and is a major tourist destination. Each year, island residents host around 1.7 million tourists, who begin arriving around Easter, with the tourist season lasting into the autumn. These large seasonal fluctuations naturally have a significant effect on the island’s energy demand. Menorca has an oil‑fired power plant that produces the majority of the electricity required on the island, especially in winter season where the demand is less. In recent years, major efforts have been made to increase the share of solar energy, and the island now has several solar power plants with a combined installed capacity amounting to tens of megawatts.

The RECET group visited one such solar power plant, a good example of integration of renewable energy infrastructure with the island landscape. On a good day the plant can generate around 50 MW of electricity. However, due to challenges related to balancing electricity production on the island’s grid, this production capacity is not always fully utilized, and curtailment is sometimes necessary. To address this, work is underway to install battery storage systems and to strengthen the undersea cable connection to Mallorca.

We thank our collaborators in Menorca for their warm hospitality and an enjoyable trip!