Electricity supply guaranteed after Es Murterar, Mallorca partial closure

Es Murterar power station, Alcudia. Archive photo. | Elena Ballestero

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma03/12/2019 04:01

Two of the four production units at the Es Murterar power station will close down at the start of next month. The remaining two will operate for a maximum of 1,500 hours per annum until August 2021, at which point they will operate for no more than 500 hours. The whole plant will eventually be decommissioned.

The progressive closure at Es Murterar is linked to the additional cable for supply from the mainland. Work on this has commenced. It is also linked to increased output from the Son Reus and Cas Tresorer power stations as well as to the anticipated introduction of photovoltaic plants.

Electricity supply will therefore be guaranteed and although the overall cost of production will rise, assurances are being given that these will not be reflected in electricity bills.

The regional and national governments have been working with Endesa on the closure of Es Murterar, the electricity company saying that it has a firm commitment to decarbonisation and energy transition in the Balearics. The company has so far awarded 55 projects for solar energy that equate to around a quarter of the total megawattage envisaged under the government's energy transition plan.