Red Eléctrica de España, operator and transporter of the Spanish electricity system, released on January 23 the data of new installed renewable power 2019 with a total of 6,456 MW. There are 6,126 MW more than last year, when 330 MW were connected, of which 194 MW corresponded to the Canary Wind Plan.
The integration of this contingent, mostly wind and photovoltaic, marks a historical record in the Spanish electricity system and represents a knock on the energy transition and the fulfillment of the integration path established in the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan, with 2030 horizon Since the deployment of new renewable generation facilities must be maintained throughout the decade, Red Eléctrica continues to work, together with all the agents involved, in the continuous improvement of the commissioning process.
To facilitate the fulfillment of the objectives established in the PNIEC regarding the commissioning of renewable generation facilities, from Red Eléctrica a set of actions has been undertaken in 2019 from the Operation and Transportation areas with the objective of enabling access and the connection, always complying with the technical and administrative requirements established in the current legal system.
Since most of this new generation (70% of the installed power) had planned its connection to the high voltage network, REE has developed new infrastructures. For this, the company has carried out actions in more than 30 substations, incorporating 15 new positions.
Currently, the renewable quota amounts to a total of 55,247 MW, of which 46% are wind, 16% are photovoltaic and the rest (38%) correspond to other renewable technologies. The Spanish power generation park is getting greener. During 2019 the increase of 5.6% of the national installed power – historical record with a value of 110 GW – was precisely due to the increase of 12.9% of the installed renewable power, with the entry into operation of the 6,456 MW mentioned. Of this total, 5,689 MW corresponded to auctions held in 2017 and the rest, 767 MW, to renewable facilities not attached to this procedure. This power is equivalent to 189 installations, of which 86 are wind (2,319 MW), 93 photovoltaic (3,975 MW) and 10 correspond to other renewable technologies (162 MW).
The increase in renewable installed capacity has favored that during 2019 the national renewable production was 97,826 GWh, which represents a weight in the generation mix of 37.5%. Wind generation has been 9.3% higher than in 2018, ranking third in the mix with a weight of 20.8% after nuclear power (21.4%) and the combined cycle (21.2%) This being the highest value recorded to date.
Historical highs in 2019
The year 2019 has managed to break several historical records in both wind and photovoltaic generation. Specifically, on Sunday, November 3 at 5.20 hours, wind power covered instant demand in the peninsula by 75.97%, the highest value achieved to date. Also, shortly before the end of the year, on Thursday, December 12 at 4:21 p.m., a new historical maximum of wind power was reached, also on the peninsula, with a value of 18,879 MW. That same technology exceeded its generation record between 4pm and 5pm, reaching 17,908 MWh. A day later, on Friday the 13th, he also beat his daily maximum reaching 396,898 MWh and, in addition, recorded the maximum of the year of renewable production with 535 GWh.
For its part, the national photovoltaic solar has increased its production by 18.8%, registering the highest annual generation value to date. Among the historical records reached by this technology, several dates stand out: on Friday, August 23, it recorded its maximum daily peninsular production with 34,758 MWh; That same month, it accounted for the monthly maximum reached to date, with a total of 972,519 MWh. Likewise, on October 26, it obtained a new maximum of hourly production, between 13 and 14 hours with 4,185 MWh.
