Lleida’s reservoirs are holding enough water to generate 1,620 GWh of electricity, more than 60% of the province’s annual power use, according to data from Red Eléctrica.
The figures come after a rainy winter and significant snowmelt. In 2024, Lleida province used 2,558 GWh of electricity, while Catalonia as a whole used 44,113 GWh.
The accumulated water in the Segre, Noguera, Éssera and Garonne basins totals 1,355 cubic hectometres. That volume supports both irrigation and electricity generation, with the reservoirs acting as storage for water and energy.
Recent calculations from the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation, published on 25 May, put the total water volume in the Segre and Noguera Pallaresa reservoirs at 1,050 cubic hectometres. Of that, 990 are usable and 781 are turbinable, which equates to 848 GWh of energy. In the Noguera Ribagorçana and Éssera basins, there are 979.5 cubic hectometres, with 965 usable and 571 turbinable, capable of generating 745 GWh. The Garonne basin holds 3.5 cubic hectometres, equivalent to 27 GWh.
Reservoir levels are also high across the area. Oliana is at 95% capacity and Rialb at 99%, while Tremp, Terradets and Camarasa are at 99%, 96% and 77% respectively. Canelles, on the Noguera Ribagorçana, is at 84% of its reserves, with 572 cubic hectometres stored. It is the Ebro basin’s second-largest reservoir, after Mequinenza.
For farmers, the water outlook remains favourable. The Canal d’Urgell has already granted six irrigation turns for this year’s campaign, with a possible seventh in June. Amadeu Ros, president of the irrigators, said there is enough water for this campaign and next year, and many farmers have already filled storage ponds for July and August. More Catalonia news