Status of solar hybridization in Spain — DEC 2025
In 2025 we have seen many new hybridization projects announced for photovoltaic plants with battery energy storage systems (BESS). Some just promises, others lost in the sea of red tape of processing… for now there are few projects that are reality. In this article we examine the status of hybridization in December 2025, focusing on the three hybrid plants that are operational in Spain: Puertollano II, Campo Arañuelo III and Extremadura III. We also review the main milestones, technical benefits and regulatory challenges that at PV-MAPS we know how to quantify and address.
Why hybridization is important
The combination of solar generation and storage allows better management of variability, offering grid services (frequency and power regulation) and improving the economic value of the hybrid plant through arbitrage in the markets. For developers and operators, a hybrid solar plant is not just a photovoltaic installation: it is a plant with added commercial and technical capacity thanks to the symbiosis of photovoltaic + batteries.
National overview: figures and trends (DEC 2025)
In 2025, BESS awards and integrations in solar plants have accelerated: manufacturers and EPCs announce large hybridization packages totaling hundreds of MW and MWh to the system. An example of these is the Alcón I photovoltaic plant, which is already building its battery to hybridize the Alcón I photovoltaic park with 25 MWp of installed power, but which is not expected to be built nor for Red Electrica to have given it the ok until 2026 or 2027. Projects like this confirm that hybridization will be a key piece to maximize renewable penetration in the next 5 years.
The 3 operational hybrid plants: technical analysis
Puertollano II (Ciudad Real)
Puertollano II is a 99,658 MWp photovoltaic plant that entered operation in 2022. In 2023 it incorporated a battery system of 5 MW / 20 MWh to the plant. The access and connection capacity is 80 MW for photovoltaic and 5 MW for BESS.
Technical data:
- Owner/Operator: Iberdrola
- PV Power (MWp): 99,658
- Inverter Power (MWac): 89,91
- Access and connection capacity (MWn): 85
- BESS Power (MW): 5
- BESS Capacity (MWh): 20
- Battery technology: lithium batteries for solar panels
- Market services: Shifting, arbitrage and participation in the Secondary Regulation Service (aFRR)
Check more technical data of this plant here: Puertollano II
Campo Arañuelo III (Romangordo, Cáceres)
Arañuelo III entered operation in 2022, and completed the plant hybridization in October 2024. It was one of the first commercial projects in Spain that integrated battery and PV in plant, with a 3 MW / 9 MWh battery.
Technical data:
- Owner/Operator: Iberdrola
- PV Power (MWp): 39,95
- Inverter Power (MWac): 32,74
- Access and connection capacity (MWn): 31
- BESS Power (MW): 3
- BESS Capacity (MWh): 9
- Battery technology: lithium batteries for solar panels
- Market services: Shifting of photovoltaic production and participation in the Secondary Regulation Service (aFRR)
Check more technical data of this plant here: Arañuelo III
Extremadura III (Badajoz / province)
The Extremadura III solar plant entered operation in early 2023, but between 2024 and 2025 it carried out its first phase to hybridize the plant with 2 MW batteries. Acciona, as owner of the plant, plans to raise the number of batteries to 10 MW in a second phase. According to RAIPEE, phase one of the hybridization entered operation on 12/11/2025.
Technical data:
- Owner/Operator: Acciona
- PV Power (MWp): 24,986
- Inverter Power (MWac): 24,98
- Access and connection capacity (MWn): 19,74
- BESS Power (MW): 2
- BESS Capacity (MWh): 5
- Battery technology: lithium batteries recycled from electric vehicles.
- Market services: Still unknown
Check more technical data of this plant here: Extremadura III
Technical comparison
| Plant | MWp PV | MW BESS | MWh BESS | Battery Tech | Operator | Operation date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puertollano II | 99,65 | 5 | 20 | Lithium-ion | Iberdrola | 2023 |
| Campo Arañuelo III | 39,95 | 3 | 9 | Lithium-ion | Iberdrola | 2024 |
| Extremadura III | 24,98 | 2 | 5 | Lithium-ion | Acciona | 2025 |
Real observed benefits and operational challenges
- Benefits: These assets are seeing higher average captured price (arbitrage), reduction in deviation costs, more provision of grid services and reduction of their curtailment. At PV-MAPS, we provide clear visibility to these benefits and quantify them.
- Challenges: economic sizing (BESS CAPEX), degradation and replacement cost of lithium batteries for solar panels, integration with PPA and full-merchant contracts (Markets), connection procedures and grid limitations. At PV-MAPS, we also know how to address these challenges
Conclusion
Hybridization is already an operational reality in Spain with these three plants, it is entering a massive deployment phase: the analyzed cases show that hybrid plants provide flexibility and value, although the scale still grows as bureaucratic and economic issues are resolved.
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