Spain’s renewable energy leadership faces challenges in energy storage

Spain leads the European Union in renewable energy generation but lags behind in energy storage capabilities, a critical factor in preventing blackouts like the one that occurred last week. In 2024, Spain set a record, with renewable sources accounting for 56.8% of its electricity consumption. However, when it comes to storing electricity from wind and solar plants, Spain's capacity is not on par with other European nations like the UK, Germany, or Italy, which also have strong renewable energy production.

Energy storage is essential to ensure that surplus energy generated during peak production times is available for future use. This would help stabilize prices and provide additional electricity in times of need, such as during the April 28th power outage. While Spain produces nearly 148,000 GWh of renewable energy, a 10.3% increase from 2023, much of this energy is not stored effectively.

Spain's storage systems primarily include hydraulic pumping, where water is stored in upper reservoirs and released to generate power when needed. There is also some use of electrochemical battery technology, but both storage methods fall short of the country's renewable generation levels. Industry insiders have expressed concern that there is still no viable market to incentivize battery storage investment, and government support has yet to ensure adequate returns on these investments.

The importance of more effective storage was highlighted by the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF), which pointed out that photovoltaic systems with batteries, operating in "island mode" disconnected from the grid, continued to function without issue during the blackout. This highlights the potential for autonomous systems to contribute to grid stability.

The Ministry for Ecological Transition has focused more on increasing interconnection with France than on improving storage capacity, despite concerns within the industry that storage has not received adequate attention in recent years. Minister Sara Aagesen emphasized that increasing interconnection with France would have mitigated the impact of the April blackout, as the Iberian Peninsula's connection to the broader European grid remains limited.

Despite these challenges, Spain is making progress in storage development. The European Energy Storage Association reports that by 2024, Spain had a total of 7.4 GW of storage capacity, with an additional 3.5 GW in the works. This accounts for just 8.3% of the EU’s total storage capacity. Aagesen stated that the government is committed to reaching an ambitious target of 22.5 GW by 2030, nearly triple the current capacity. The government plans to invest significantly in storage projects, with the help of the European Recovery Fund.

Additionally, Spain is offering urgent financial aid for innovative storage projects, as well as previous rounds of funding to support storage development. These initiatives aim to accelerate the transition to more robust energy storage solutions. However, the slow pace of funding allocation has led to dissatisfaction among smaller energy companies, who are frustrated with the delays in receiving support.

The challenge of balancing renewable energy growth with adequate storage infrastructure remains a significant hurdle for Spain. Industry stakeholders continue to call for more streamlined processes to expedite the development of hybrid storage systems, combining renewable energy parks with battery storage, to ensure a reliable and resilient energy system.