Spanish island of el- Hierro functions on just renewable energy

All energy needs of the El Hierro island, in the Spanish controlled Canary island chain off the west coast of Africa, were met by renewable energy sources for a period of just over two hours earlier this week, the Spanish media informs Saturday.

The feat on the island which has a population of just over 10,000, was made possible by a combination of hydro-electric and wind energy at the Gorona del Viento hydro-electric center.

This center creates electricity through hydro-electric means, with the water which generates the electricity then pumped back up to a holding tank using wind power.

The system combined to provide enough electricity for the islanders for 121 minutes.

"The combination of an intermittent source of energy, such as wind, and a hydraulic system made it possible to keep the electric network stable," said the Director of the Gorona del Viento hydro-electric center.

The ability to provide the electricity with only renewable sources meant that the emission of around 7 tons of carbon monoxide which would have been generated by the use of fossil fuels was avoided.