The Generalitat will present objections to the ministry's new electricity grid planning.

MadridThe path to replacing a portion of the industry with the fossil fuels it currently uses fully involves electrification, or at least that's the State's commitment. However, this requires that the infrastructure that enables the consumption of electricity be prepared for this change, but also for the arrival of new industrial activities that will push up electricity demand. That's why the proposed electricity grid planning for 2026-2030, with an investment of €13.6 billion (a breakdown by region has not yet been established), will be key. This Thursday, the Ministry for Ecological Transition put the document up for public hearing, and it will remain there until December 16. The Catalan Government will initially present its observations, according to sources within the Catalan government.

Specifically, the Catalan Government does not view the proposal negatively, although it believes it can be "improved." In fact, before Thursday's approval, the ministry headed by Sara Aagesen held meetings with regional governments, including the Catalan government, to understand their demands. This plan is basically a map of how all infrastructure related to the state's electricity grid should improve and expand to meet future electricity demand, including the transmission and distribution grids and new access points. It also establishes how much money the state will allocate (€13.6 billion). However, the final document is not expected to be ready until next year.

The Ministry of Territory, Housing, and Ecological Transition will now begin analyzing the document, which is more than 60 pages long, but one of the first deficiencies detected relates to the distribution electricity networks. This refers to the medium- and low-voltage network or cabling that allows energy to travel from transmission substations to the end customer—that is, to homes or businesses. In this case, the main state electricity companies (Endesa, Iberdrola, Naturgy, and EDP), as well as some small distributors, are responsible.

Increased industrial demand

In previous plans, the Spanish government had focused on integrating renewable energies—such as wind and solar energy—into the electricity grid so they could meet electricity demand. Likewise, the role of fossil fuels, such as gas-fired power plants, has been gradually diminishing in the electricity mix. But the transformation of a portion of the industry, as well as the proliferation of new, highly electricity-demanding activities, such as data centers, have necessitated the creation of a roadmap with greater demand than ever: 27 gigawatts (GW) compared to the 2 GW in the current plan.

In fact, the Generalitat (Catalan government) believes that the current proposal does not solve the problems of industrial companies that are seeking, precisely, to abandon fossil fuels and make the leap to electrification, which requires them to be connected to the grid. According to preliminary data from the Catalan government, Catalonia would expand its grid connection capacity by 5.7 gigawatts (GW) (a new demand that would need to be met), of which 1.8 GW are to meet industrial demand.

The Ministry for Ecological Transition states that the proposed planning proposal for 2030 "incorporates the priorities defined by the Generalitat." These priorities include strengthening access to the electricity grid for the Tarragona petrochemical park for new industrial developments; also access to various desalination plants (Tordera and Cubelles), in line with the water transition envisaged by the Generalitat; a reinforcement of the area near the city of Barcelona, ​​​​where population growth is putting upward pressure on demand; and changes to the electricity grid for the development of the project. Catalonia Media City, and finally, a reinforcement of port connections and railway electrification.

For the period after 2030, the ministry plans to reinforce the Olvan-Vic area to accommodate the new pumped storage plant. "During this public hearing process, work will be done to identify the technical feasibility [of the project] so it can be formally incorporated into the 2030 scenario," the Spanish government indicates.

Paradigm shift

It should be noted that this proposed 2030 planning is important to meet the goals the Spanish government has set in the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (NIEC) 2023-2030. These include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% compared to 2005; ensuring that renewables account for 48% of final energy use (including electricity, natural gas, and oil); and ensuring that the economy's electrification rate reaches 35%.