The Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF) decided this Friday, in an extraordinary meeting, to request the Supreme Court (TS) to apply precautionary measures for the suspension of the next renewable auction. According to its general director, José Donoso, the request is based on the fact that the mechanism prepared by the Government, collected in two drafts of ministerial order and resolution, greatly favors wind power, thereby contradicting the principle of technological neutrality established in the royal decree on the auction published a few days ago.
"The general perception is that there is significant discrimination against photovoltaics, since auction conditions You cannot exercise the degree of competitiveness achieved by this technology from an economic point of view, ”explained Donoso.
The auction mechanism limits the discounts offered by interested parties, which increases the probability of a tie, which gives wind energy an advantage, in his opinion, in a tiebreaker procedure because it rewards projects with more hours of operation, which breaks with the principle of technological neutrality established by the Ministry of Energy itself.
Just yesterday, the department headed by Álvaro Nadal approved the ministerial order that regulates this auction, which is scheduled for late April or early May, per 2.000 megawatts (MW) of renewable power, expandable by an additional 1.000 MW if the auction results offer competitive prices. The auction will be carried out through an efficiency mechanism, so that those projects that involve a lower cost for the consumer will be awarded. According to Energy, It will be technologically neutral, "allowing the different renewable technologies to compete on equal terms".
Old news: 3000 MW auction
Kickoff for a new one auction de renewable energy Up to 3.000 megawatts (MW). The Council of Ministers has approved a Royal Decree that establishes a new call for the allocation, through an auction, of the specific remuneration regime for renewable technology installations, up to a maximum of 3.000 megawatts (MW). In order to participate in the auction, the Government informs, the facilities must be new and must be located on the peninsula.
The allocation of the specific remuneration regime -informs the Government- will be through an auction in which different renewable technologies participate "In competitive competition, in such a way that the most cost-efficient facilities are awarded."
EUROPEAN TARGET
Spain, where the activity of renewable energy is very unemployed, in 2015 it reached 17,3% of best before date of clean energy on final energy consumption. To achieve the European target set for Spain in 2020, which is 20% renewable energy on final energy consumption, «it is necessary to promote the introduction of new renewable capacity in the electricity system«, According to the Ministry of Energy.
This auction to introduce new renewable energy into the Spanish electrical system, will increase the competition in the market and the penetration of more renewable energies as well as reducing the energy dependence from abroad. Dependence on Spain is twenty points above the European average.
Royal Decree 359 / 2017, of March 31, which establishes a call for the granting of the specific remuneration regime to new facilities for the production of electricity from renewable energy sources in the peninsular electricity system
Wind power installed in Spain
It can be seen that the little legal certainty that the country offers regarding renewable energies does not help anything to increase the installed power in our country.
In 2005, the government approved a new national law with the goal of reaching 20 MW of production in 2010. The Spanish energy plan envisaged generating 30% of all energy through clean energy, reaching 20,1 GW in 2010 and 36 GW in 2020. The plan expected that half of this energy would come from the wind sector, which would prevent the emission of 77 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Luckily this plan was fulfilled, unlike the new one. In 2011, the government approved in the National Renewable Energy Plan Wind targets for the 2011-2020 period of 35 MW installed by 000 in onshore wind and 2020 MW in offshore wind. Considering what has been seen, this objective is hardly going to be met.