Spain seeks to further rebuild security of supply natural gasThis is in line with European Union demands to protect community energy systems amid a strategy to increasingly break old dependence on Russian hydrocarbons. The government is preparing a series of emergency and prevention plans and some legal reforms to determine the risk map and protect itself against possible dangers in advance. Possible malfunctions in gas entry into the country.
The Executive, currently in office, has submitted it to public participation in order to gain contribution from the energy sector. Emergency Plan and Preventive Action Plan Submission of the Spanish gas system to the European Commission by 2026, as well as updating the national winter action plan and adapting the technical management standards of the gas system, which is the responsibility of the Executive.
These are all intertwined and interdependent arrangements that determine how to prevent supply problems and how to act if they arise, particularly in mitigating their consequences on homes and essential services, as well as feeding gas plants for electricity generation. Since the energy crisis and the circumvention of economic and trade sanctions between Europe and Russia after the military occupation of Ukraine, preventive measures against failures in energy security have been strengthened in the EU.
Simulation of serious faults
The Ministry of Ecological Transition, led by current Vice President Teresa Ribera, conducted simulations as part of a preventive plan on how the Spanish gas system will be supported. Total or partial gas supply disruptions from Algeria (Spain’s largest supplier) Russia or from norway and also in cases where high consumption and serious failures of the country’s major infrastructures coincide, e.g. Spain regasification plants (those receiving gas by ship), underground reservoirs or the internal gas pipeline network, and with other European countries.
The Government’s analysis concludes that the gas system can withstand without high risk to continuity of supply in all emergency scenarios examined due to faults and interruptions in the gas supply, but foresees that in some cases the result will be: A significant increase in the prices that must be paid to obtain the gas.
The Ministry confirms that none of the multiple risks identified will create a gas supply problem to the country. protected customers (households, SMEs and essential services)What is the system in the event of a halt in imports from both Algeria and Russia, as well as in the event of problems in the different major Spanish gas infrastructures (underlining that this also applies in the event of a failure of the main gas entry route to the national gas pipeline) Regasification plant in the port of Barcelona).
“HE The biggest risk identified is the failure of the Mugardos factory “On a busy winter day,” the Government warns, but emphasizes that even in this scenario, the consumption of “protected customers” will be fully covered. In order to avoid possible failures of this regasification plant operated by Reganosa in the port of Ferrol in A Coruña, the Management foresees that it may be necessary to resort to joint operation of connections between Spain and Portugal, which would strain large industry in the region. stopping gas consumption, reducing the use of gas power plants to generate electricity and even activating a mutual aid agreement with Portugal.
Protected clients
The government has also activated the process of approving new technical management standards for the electricity system, with a view to adapting them to the distribution of powers between the Executive and the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) and to community regulations in this context. .
The emerging regulation ensures the impossibility of interruption of supply protected customers (domestic consumers, SMEs and essential social services)Its supply is guaranteed, except in the event of a solidarity request from another EU country in an emergency. In this case, the SME will be removed from the list of protected customers within the scope of the solidarity mechanism.
Vulnerable customers, especially large business consumers, may have their supplies interrupted in a crisis after an order, depending on the criticality of the activity they carry out (if the interruption may have negative impacts on the supply chains, such as health, protection, etc.). , defense or environment; the impact it could have on the entire national and EU value chain; possible damage to the facilities in case of closure, economic considerations…).