Red Eléctrica estimates the cost of reinforcing the electrical system since the blackout at 317 million euros.

MadridSince the massive blackout on April 28, which left the entire Iberian Peninsula without electricity, the system operator, Red Eléctrica, has been operating in "boost mode." This mode consists, broadly speaking, of more than twenty combined cycle (gas-fired) plants remaining on idle. They do not generate electricity, but are available to be activated at any time, especially if demand soars and renewables cannot meet it, or if, once again, technical problems are detected in the system.

This, which provides security to the system, also comes at an additional cost: €317 million since the reinforcement was implemented following the massive blackout, as Red Eléctrica president Beatriz Corredor revealed this Thursday during a speech at the Solar Forum, organized by the photovoltaic industry association UN. "This reinforced operation has obviously had a cost, which has been estimated for the entire system at 317 million euros," said Corredor.

"This cost translates into income for the generators [owners of combined cycle plants] who have been required since 2000 to control voltage," indicated Corredor. This increased presence of combined cycle or gas-fired plants in the electricity mix provides stability to the system because they are plants equipped to dynamically control voltage. In this regard, the president of the system operator assured that supply "is not at risk," although she called for urgent measures from the Competition Authority to strengthen the electricity system.

Higher prices

But those €317 million to reinforce the system are not paid by Red Eléctrica, but by consumers, as the operator itself acknowledges, but also by companies and the Spanish government. This additional cost of maintaining the system in "reinforcement mode" directly impacts the wholesale market price.poolElectricity, where energy is bought and sold every day.

The Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has already put it in black and white how all this translates into the electricity bill. According to OCU calculations, since the blackout (and, therefore, since the system reinforcement came into operation), the electricity bill has increased by an average of 13.68 euros.

The consulting firm ASE has estimated that, since the beginning of the year, electricity production from gas plants (which produce more expensive electricity compared to renewables) has increased by 33%, especially since April, when the electricity grid was shut down. "Red Eléctrica appears to have set a minimum of 8% for electricity generation from combined cycle plants to guarantee the stability of the system," the consultancy indicates in a report.

Senate Inquiry Commission

However, this Thursday, Red Eléctrica's general director of operations, Concha Sánchez, defended that "the programming and all the actions" carried out by the system operator on the day of the blackout "were carried out in accordance with safety criteria." During her appearance before the Senate's Commission of Inquiry into the power outage, Sánchez denied that any type of "operational negligence" occurred, as the companies claimed.