Permissions to connect to the server electrical network They have become a highly sought-after asset in Spain in recent years amid a boom in new production facilities. renewable energy and large industrial projects. These permits are so sought after that they have become an object of sale and a breeding ground for speculation by some.
The government has launched an urgent expansion of electricity networks to prevent saturation in some regions due to the concentration of new renewable installations and increased power outages. Proliferation of large industrial and technological projectsIt is preparing a completely new and comprehensive electricity plan for the coming years to meet new needs.
In recent years, the Ministry of Ecological Transition has adopted measures aimed at stopping speculation in permits for connecting new renewable electricity generation projects to the grid, demanding increasingly larger guarantees and also demanding compliance with milestones. it was real and not just a piece of paper.
Now the Government is taking action Bursting the bubble created by the projects of large electricity consumers Avoid speculative moves around permissions to access ‘ghost’ plans (not by manufacturers) and industrial and technological groups that hold powers and block access to other projects that are more likely to be implemented.
project bubble
To carry out a screening, the executive took advantage of the ‘omnibus decree’, which includes urgent economic measures, including legal reforms, to create new conditions for successful bidders for permits for connection to electricity transport and distribution networks for light consumption facilities. projects fake The boom in green hydrogen plants is linked to plans to build energy storage or new digital data centres. Put an end to “speculative hoarding” of network access.
“There is a strong increase in requests for access to networks to connect new consumption. (…) As has already happened in the generation in the period between 2018 and 2020, an extraordinarily rapid growth is observed and in some cases projects begin to develop rapidly, but in others they do not”, the Government explains in the text of the Decree. The actual decree was approved by the Council of Ministers last week. ” The eventual hoarding of network access permissions leads to massive consumption, coupled with the fact that consumer access permissions do not have a clearly defined validity period, recommends that measures be taken to prevent speculative hoarding of the same by projects that do not have a clear visibility of “development”.
What you need to avoid losing your license
The new regulation, supported by the Ministry of Ecological Transition led by Vice President Teresa Ribera, requires the submission of large electricity consumption projects Economic guarantees associated with applying for permission to access networks high or medium voltage electricity (generally at the rate of 40,000 euros for each megawatt of power demanded, or 20,000 euros for storage projects).
Projects will lose the permit to connect to the grid, as well as the financial guarantees offered, unless, after five years from the date of receipt, they have demonstrated that they have made progress in their development and have an access agreement for contracted power of at least 1000 euros. They have access authority up to half of the project capacity. They will also lose the permit if this agreement is not maintained for at least three years.
In parallel, the Government is also introducing new regulation where there is competition for access to the grid from large electricity consumers at a particular infrastructure point. The prize is awarded through a competition The maturity of the projects, the investments involved and their contribution to the decarbonisation of energy consumption, among other things, will be taken into account.