AEE says Spain cannot install enough wind to meet 2020 goal

Dec 30, 2014 - Spain needs to build between 4,553 MW and 6,473 MW of wind power plants by the end of the decade to meet its renewable energy target, but the Spanish Wind Energy Association (АЕЕ) says this cannot happen.

To reach a total installed wind capacity of about 29,500 MW by the end of the decade, the country will have to construct 900 MW-1,300 MW each year, according to government calculations. This, in turn, will require an annual investment of between EUR 6 billion (USD 7.28bn) and EUR 8.7 billion. Such capacity additions are virtually impossible due to the policy uncertainty created by the government, AEE said on Monday.

The organisation is pointing to the current stagnation in the wind industry after recent reforms in Spain, including retroactive reduction in support, that hurt the sector significantly. The government's moves have discouraged investments to such an extent that during the first half of the year the county installed only one 80-kW wind turbine.

Local grid operator Red Electrica de Espana (REE) said last week that the country’s total installed capacity as at December 31 is estimated to stand at 102,259 MW. Wind farms account for 22.3% of the total.

(EUR 1.0 = USD 1.213)

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