Spain to hold 3-GW renewables auction in H1 2017

Spain's Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism, Alvaro Nadal, announced today that the country will hold a 3-GW renewable energy auction in the first half of 2017.

The announcement was made before the Congress of Deputies and reported by local media. Details are expected soon.

The tender will be technologically neutral, meaning that projects based on different renewable energy technologies, such as wind, solar and biomass, will be able to compete for contracts. The auction will also include control mechanisms and guarantee requirements to ensure the execution and completion of the winning projects.

Originally, the government planned to hold a second tender this year, but various factors have contributed to a change in plans. At the start of 2016, Spain awarded contracts to 500 MW of wind power and 200 MW of biomass in an auction. The contracts for wind were won at zero premium over the market price. The Spanish Wind Energy Association (AEE) explained at the time that did not reflect the reality of the sector as the tender was significantly oversubscribed and bids were too low.

Renewables accounted for 42.2% of total power generation in Spain in January-November 2016. This includes a 15.1% share for hydropower plants.

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