Spanish consultation exercise on storage and 100%-renewables islands

MITECO’s consultation exercise, which is open until April 11, will consider, among other topics, how to address regulation to drive energy storage on the nation’s islands, which storage technology options are most appropriate, and whether economic or administrative barriers are holding up storage deployment.

The exercise will ask how island energy storage should be developed and which management model would be best for current electricity production and dispatch procedures.

The chief obstacles to clean energy development on the islands will be considered, as well as the regulatory moves needed to address them, and the consultation will ask which renewables options offer the greatest island potential.

Consultees will be asked whether there are sufficient revenue opportunities to drive island-based clean energy facilities and what other developments could help the islands hit environmental and clean energy targets.

MITECO minister, and Spanish deputy prime minister, Sara Aagesen has announced a package of measures to decarbonize Canary Island electricity, agreed with the islands’ government and energy sector. One of the initial changes will be to hugely expand grid access for clean energy sites, an aim which will be included in the 2025-2030 energy plan which is being drafted. Under the plan, available grid capacity on the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura will increase from 10 MW to 429 MW, on Tenerife and La Gomera from 57 MW to 593 MW, and on Gran Canaria from 61 MW to 337 MW.

Other immediate changes include Canary Island electricity tariffs being adjusted to reflect demand and attract clean energy developers and investors, and independent energy storage regulation being amended so such facilities can provide flexibility to the islands’ grids.

Longer-term, renewable energy and energy storage sites will be eligible to participate in the Canaries’ grid balancing market.

From pv magazine España.