The city's Mayor visits the facilities
Red Eléctrica invests 7.5 million euros in strengthening the transmission grid in Palencia
The Mayor of Palencia, Alfonso Polanco, accompanied by the Director General of Energy and Mines, Ricardo González, and the Construction Director of Red Eléctrica, Alberto Granda, have today visited the works that the company is carrying out in the electricity substation of Palencia with the objective of strengthening the security of the electricity system in the city and improving the quality of supply.

In 2010, Red Eléctrica invested 5 million euros on extending the substation and renovating its protection systems. In addition, during 2011 the company is increasing the number of lines reaching the facility from two to four, which has represented an additional investment of 2.5 million.

Until now the city of Palencia received its electricity through just two 220 kV lines: Villalbilla-Villalcampo and Villalcampo-Vallejera. So as to improve this situation, Red Eléctrica has doubled the number of lines so that the incoming and outgoing lines are independent routes (see graphic). In this way, by increasing the number lines that enter the substation from two to four, the security of the electricity system in the city is strengthened, thus minimizing risks when faced with an incident.

The new line configuration of the Villalcampo-Vallejera axis was commissioned in September, and it is anticipated that the Villalbilla-Villalcampo axis will be in operation towards the end of the year.

These activities mark the end of Red Eléctrica's transmission grid strengthening programme in Palencia which began in 2009. In August that year, the city suffered several power outages due to various fires which occurred in the vicinity of the Villalcampo-Vallejera line and which happened at the same time that the Villalbilla-Villalcampo line was out of service due to improvement works.