Hermes, messenger of the gods and the interconnected Balearic electrical system

PalmaIf Hermes was the messenger between the gods of Olympus and Earth, he will now return to exercise his function as a messenger by giving his name to the communication platform of the interconnected Balearic electricity system. This new task was not entrusted to Hermes by any of the gods, but by Red Eléctrica, the subsidiary of Redeia in charge of electricity transmission and the operation of the electricity system throughout Spain. Hermes will be a sophisticated communication system that will allow the optimization of the capabilities of the Balearic electricity system and maintain its stability at all times.

Now, in the 21st century, the caduceus of Hermes –a staff with two snakes coiled around it and often crowned with wings, which is his symbol– is made up of two complex and innovative sets of energy batteries: one located in the Sant Antoni substation (Ibiza) and another in the Mercadal one (Menorca). These are pieces of battery equipment that Hermes will have under his watchful eye and that will allow the underwater electrical links –with the Peninsula and between the Islands– to function at their greatest capacity, maximizing it. Furthermore, together with all the information that Hermes will manage, these batteries will be activated when necessary so that the system maintains balance if any incident occurs.

Hermes has a vital mission as a messenger of the Balearic electricity system: to transport information so that energy transmission is optimal.

Thus, the two battery installations –the construction of which Red Eléctrica is currently finalizing– are the innovative infrastructures of the energy transmission network that have motivated the invocation of Hermes. And although located in Menorca and Ibiza, they come to improve the entire Balearic electricity system and, of course, they needed Hermes so that the entire system was connected to the batteries –and they with it– to increase its capacity and security.

Let us also not forget that Hermes, in addition to being the messenger of the gods, is also the patron of all those who create, build, or innovate. That is why the name Hermes is no coincidence. Both the batteries and the Hermes communications system are two innovative projects by Red Eléctrica that are being launched in the Balearic Islands. The first in the entire country.

Hermes gives its name to the communications system between the future batteries and the rest of the transmission network: the current Peninsula-Balearic Islands, Mallorca-Ibiza, Mallorca-Menorca links, as well as the future Peninsula-Balearic Islands 2 and the new Mallorca-Menorca.

Electrical planning

The operability of Hermes –in addition to its design– is totally linked to the batteries. Red Eléctrica’s batteries are elements fully integrated into the transmission network, included in the current Electricity Planning, which will allow for maximizing the effective exchange of energy between the interconnections. The batteries will make it possible to have the 90 MW power / 67.5 MWh capacity system available in Ibiza, and 50 MW of power and 37.5 MWh in Menorca.

This contingent of stored energy available for system operation is of crucial importance because it will enable the links to operate at a higher programmed capacity and serve as a safeguard in case of an incident.

With the batteries, the link network is optimized and, consequently, the benefits of current and projected interconnections will increase, providing:

– More security and quality of electricity supply.

– Less use of local fossil energy.

– Fewer CO2 emissions.

– Lower overall system costs.

– More integrated renewable energy.

Both the batteries in Es Mercadal and those in Sant Antoni are already in the final assembly phase, almost finished; afterwards, a testing period begins that may be prolonged for infrastructure that is the first of its kind to be built in Spain and among the first in Europe. When everything is ready, Hermes will also be prepared.

How does Hermes work?

Hermes is defined as an automation system associated with battery projects, oriented towards managing signals from the electrical system, processing them, and sending automatic setpoints to the batteries in the event of contingencies on the links. Its objective is to reinforce the security and reliability of the Balearic electrical system and, above all, to maximize the utilization of the links. The fact is that knowing that Hermes is watching, the links can afford to transport more energy because they know they will have the immediate support of the batteries if necessary.

Hermes will be an advanced tool that will allow real-time monitoring of the status and operation of electrical infrastructures in the Balearic Islands.

It will have equipment distributed across key nodes of the transport network, and the communications platform will continuously collect measurements and status signals through protection and digital input modules. Signal data will be transmitted using synchronizers that allow for fast and standardized communication. In other words, key information is continuously gathered, helping to detect potential incidents and react quickly and automatically.

The system design incorporates a central data concentrator. This device receives real-time data from connected transport assets and battery systems (state of charge, deliverable energy). With powerful logical capabilities, the concentrator also performs pre-contingency calculations, ensuring quick and intelligent decision-making.

To ensure maximum system reliability, a fully redundant architecture has been implemented, both in the signal acquisition field and within the data concentrator layer.

This design ensures continuous operation and resilience, and reinforces the robustness of the Hermes solution. Furthermore, the system operates through a specific fiber optic network belonging to Red Eléctrica, which ensures its independence and security.