The wind is in fashion. With or without the subsidies that allow wind power producers to compete with fossil fuels and expand your market share.
The Ministry of Energy has sent to the National Commission of Markets and Competition the draft ministerial order that will regulate the auction of 3.000 MW of renewables, with the intention that it be closed again at no cost to the consumer, just like the previous one.
According to the text of the same, the announcement of the auction, as they had announced, will be will limit in this case to wind and photovoltaic and the rest of technologies (biomass among others) are expelled.
The Ministry explains in its financial report that its decision aims to increase competition between the two in accordance with the strong demand that was registered in the previous auction, which in practice opens the door to specific calls for other technologies, according to sources in the sector.
With this scenario, it is expected that wind power will once again sweep the call, since at a price tie with the current discount levels, this technology wins again for its longer production hours.
Photovoltaic input
Professionals in the sector assure that the ministry will probably open new calls, to try to accommodate the large solar plants, which have been willing to enter the system and invest hundreds of millions of euros in the country.
The department, through the Secretary of State for Energy, sent a letter to the vice president of the CNMC to ask her within a period of five days allegations to it.
The photovoltaic employers have already filed a first complaint with the Supreme Court, and it is assumed that this time it will be no different. Unef also hopes to raise it with the European Comission.
With this situation in Spain, the possibility of installing large photovoltaic plants is beginning to open up no need to go to these auctions and with the support of long-term contracts with companies. Proof of this is that some like Juwi in Murcia already have all the permits.
The CNMC authorizes the creation of the largest photovoltaic plant in Europe in Murcia
The National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) has approved the megaproject of the photovoltaic solar plant of Mula (Murcia), once the legal requirements regarding financial capacity by its promoter, the German group Juwi.
Last November, the CNMC had conditioned the issuance of a favorable report for the project (out of auction) to the fact that the company guarantee financial capacity.
Once the German group has provided additional information that allows verifying that during 2016 and the first months of 2017 the the actions necessary to guarantee economic-financial capacity, the regulator has issued a report favorable to the resolution proposal authorizing this project.
According to the CNMC report, Promosolar Juwi, in the allegations presented last February, has added the necessary documentation to solve the situation of economic imbalance revealed by the regulator last November.
The regulator highlights that, according to the documentation submitted, it is verified that the actions carried out by both Promosolar Juwi and its majority partner Juwi Energías Renovables that situation of imbalance would have been corrected.
The Mula photovoltaic solar plant, a project that was presented in 2012, expects to have a power of 450 megawatts (MW), slightly lower, for example, than the Garoña power (466 MW), which makes it one of the largest projects of its kind in Europe.
The importance of governments promoting renewable energies
Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council, said that with wind energy it is proving cost competitive with fossil fuels in a growing number of territories, and it is clear that it will play an important role in our energy future.
However, he added that if the sector wants to reach its full potential, governments should continue to develop renewable energy policies since it is necessary to “act quickly to face the climate crisis while there is still time”.
His comments were echoed by Sven Teske, Greenpeace's energy expert, who argued that “the most important ingredient for the long-term success of the wind industry is to maintain a policy with a long-term view, which sends a clear signal to investors about the government's vision for the scope and potential of the technology. "