Spain sees significant growth in renewable energy projects: 3,526.5 MW authorised in Q2 2024

According to the report of the Foro Sella Renewable Energy Observatory, prepared by Opina 360 based on data from the Official State Journal, in the second quarter of this year a total of 46 renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 3,526.5 MW received administrative permits.

Photovoltaic projects led the way, with 3,155.8 MW of authorizations compared to 390.7 MW for wind. Interestingly, 3,249.9 MW of these projects have already received construction authorization.

Castile and León was the leading region with 1,336.3 MW, followed by Andalusia with 864.8 MW and Castile-La Mancha with 391.3 MW. Nine regions did not issue any permits for projects.

In total, authorized renewable capacity for the year reached 9,482 MW, comprising 7,109 MW of solar photovoltaic and 2,373 MW of wind. The regions of Castile and León (2,647 MW), Aragon (2,482 MW), Andalusia (1,091 MW) and Madrid (927 MW) accounted for three-quarters of authorized capacity in the first six months.

In terms of environmental impact statements (EIS), only one positive EIS was recorded in Q2, for a 19.3 MW photovoltaic project in Valencia. However, seven projects with a total capacity of 717 MW received negative EISs, with wind generation (398.6 MW) being more affected than photovoltaic generation (318.5 MW).

In addition, 42 renewable energy projects entered the public information phase in Q2, with a total capacity of 4,864.5 MW. Of this, 3,649.7 MW were photovoltaic plants, 1,070.8 MW were wind projects and 144 MW were hydroelectric power.

Of these projects, 23, with a total capacity of 2,986.5 MW, are in the initial phase before the environmental impact assessment, mainly in the case of photovoltaic power plants (2,497.2 MW). The remaining projects have passed the environmental impact assessment process and are waiting for further permits and recognition of public utility.

From January to June, 82 renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 8,375.3 MW were submitted for public consultation. During this period, the Ministry of Ecological Transformation rejected 48 projects with a total capacity of 3,045.4 MW, including 2,155.6 MW of wind energy and 889.8 MW of photovoltaic energy.

In addition, Red Eléctrica de España (REE) updated its installed photovoltaic capacity in 2023 to 5,850.9 MW, excluding self-consumption, up from the previously recorded 5,594 MW.

The Ministry also granted administrative authorization for a 4.6 MW energy storage project in the Canary Islands. Eleven storage projects with a total capacity of 328.4 MW were submitted for public consultation in the first quarter. Three are related to next-generation projects, while the rest concern hybridization.

The data was collected by Opina 360, the Grupo Redondo Institute for Social Research, founded by Iván Redondo, former director of the Cabinet of the President of the Government, and his wife Sandra Rudy.

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