3.68GW! Spain opens access applications, photovoltaics welcome new opportunities

Recently, the Spanish Ministry of Ecological Transformation (MITECO) officially launched an important initiative to open 3.68GW of grid capacity access applications, aiming to further promote the development of the country's photovoltaic industry and accelerate the transformation of the energy structure to clean energy.

It is understood that as the first tender, the grid capacity of eight power transmission nodes in Andalucia, Aragon, Castilla-La Mancha, Catalonia, Galicia and Basque Country will be allocated. Previously, the large user applications for these grid nodes have exceeded the quota, and each application is evaluated separately.

Due to the overload of some nodes, a competitive process is now introduced. When the Spanish grid operator Red Eléctrica de España (REE) receives an access demand application for a specific node, it will be announced on its website. If additional applications are received within one month and the available capacity is insufficient, the node will be allocated through bidding to all interested parties who expressed interest during this period.

According to the document, applicants have one month to submit the required documents. The review may include a report from REE, and MITECO will complete the resolution of each tender within six months after the tender is issued. Developers must submit financial guarantees based on three criteria, each at €25/kW. These guarantees will be refunded after compliance verification.

This is the first time that electricity access has been allocated through a regulated tender using three evaluation criteria. The criteria include emission reduction (decarbonization impact), planned investment amount, and electricity start-up timeline. The process marks a shift to prioritize projects that reduce CO2 emissions, such as electrification of industrial processes. After this initial criterion, projects will be scored based on investment scale and expected commissioning timeline.

Approved grid-connected photovoltaics reached 65.8GW, and power rationing issues are prominent

Spain has abundant solar resources, with an average annual sunshine duration of about 3,000 hours, making it one of the countries with the best solar irradiation conditions in Europe. In recent years, Spain has made significant progress in the field of renewable energy. According to incomplete statistics, as of the end of March 2025, the country had about 129.57GW of renewable energy projects that had obtained grid connection permits, of which photovoltaic projects accounted for a large proportion, and the approved photovoltaic installed capacity reached 65.8GW.

However, the Spanish photovoltaic market also faces some challenges. On the one hand, the growth rate of new photovoltaic installations has slowed down. In 2024, Spain's new self-generated and self-used photovoltaic installed capacity will be 1.431GW, a year-on-year decrease of 26.3%. The cumulative installed capacity in this field will reach 8.58GW, and the market has declined for two consecutive years. On the other hand, with the rapid growth of photovoltaic installed capacity, the problem of grid capacity limitation has gradually become prominent, and the demand for grid flexibility solutions has become more urgent.

Despite the challenges, the Spanish government continues to increase its support for the photovoltaic industry. In 2024, Spain launched a support plan worth 2.3 billion euros, covering multiple fields such as solar panel production and energy storage technology innovation, aiming to accelerate the application of renewable energy. In addition, Spain also plans to invest 1.2 billion euros in hydrogen energy projects to promote the production and consumption of green hydrogen energy and help the country's decarbonization process.

The significance and impact of opening grid access applications

The opening of 3.68GW grid capacity access applications in Spain this time has many important significance for the country's photovoltaic market. First, this will provide more grid connection opportunities for new photovoltaic projects, help alleviate the current grid connection difficulties of photovoltaic projects, and promote further growth in photovoltaic installed capacity. Secondly, it will attract more investment into the photovoltaic field and promote technological innovation and industrial upgrading.

As more projects are implemented, the coordinated development of the upstream and downstream of the photovoltaic industry chain will be driven, creating more employment opportunities. Finally, this is also a key step for Spain to move towards the goal of 74% of renewable energy electricity and 76.27GW of photovoltaic installed capacity by 2030, which will help improve the country's energy security and sustainable development capabilities.

For the global photovoltaic market, this move by Spain also has a positive demonstration effect. In the context of global energy transformation, countries are exploring how to better develop renewable energy, and Spain's experience and practices will provide reference and reference for other countries.