Arias-Vasquez welcomes BESS becoming operational

The Minister for Health, Care and Business, Gemma Arias-Vasquez, has welcomed the Battery Energy Storage System becoming operational following a testing and commissioning period that began on December 2, 2025.

The system, known as BESS, is designed to provide greater resilience to Gibraltar’s electricity network by helping avoid power cuts caused by an engine trip at the North Mole Power Station.

The Government said the system had already helped prevent outages on two occasions in recent weeks after a power station engine tripped.

The BESS is particularly important because Gibraltar operates as an island grid and does not have the same back-up available to larger interconnected systems.

Its introduction has also allowed the decommissioning of portable Caterpillar engines previously used for back-up power generation, which the Government said would deliver substantial cost savings and reduce emissions in the surrounding area.

But the Government said the system is not designed to prevent outages caused by faults on the electricity grid itself, such as damage to a high-voltage cable.

Ms Arias-Vasquez said: “I am very pleased that, following a robust testing and commissioning period which began in December 2025, the BESS is now operational. In recent weeks, we have already seen the practical benefit of this investment when, following an issue with the LNG terminal which caused and engine to trip at the North Mole Power Station, the BESS picked up the load and helped avoid a power cut.”

“That is exactly what this system is there to do. It is designed to help protect Gibraltar from power cuts arising from faults at the power station itself, while also allowing us to decommission the portable Caterpillar engines previously used for back-up generation, delivering substantial cost savings and improving emissions in the surrounding area.”

“I also want to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in this project and all those who have helped bring it to fruition."