Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has announced that it will hold its next renewable energy auction, with a capacity of 500 MW in April 2022. Of this, 200 MW is allocated to concentrated solar power (CSP) with six hours of battery storage capacity, 140 MW to distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) projects, 140 MW for biomass projects, and 20 MW for other technologies. The 140 MW of distributed solar projects must have a capacity of less than or equal to 5 MW. Also, priority will be given to projects which provide local employment.
The ministry has set aside 100 MW for large-scale biomass projects, with the remaining 40 MW set aside for initiatives with a capacity of less than 20 MW. The winning bidders must complete the solar projects within two years of receiving the award letter. As per the statement, CSP, biomass, and biogas would all be supported by the government for the next 20 years. In addition, solar PV projects with distributed panels and other renewable technologies would be supported for a period of 12 years.
In October 2021, Spain auctioned 866 MW of solar projects out of a total tender capacity of 3,123 MW. Wind projects accounted for a large portion of the capacity granted. The lowest bid was $0.033 per kWh from Repsol Renovables for a 49 MW onshore wind project.
