Project for Spain-North Portugal power link gets enviro approval

The Spanish ministry for the ecological transition has approved the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Spain-North Portugal interconnection project, which has been designed to increase the exchange the capacity between the two countries by some 1,000 MW.

The news was announced today by Spain’s grid operator Red Electrica de Espana (REE), which said that the project will require an investment of EUR 55 million (USD 58.7m).

The Spain-North Portugal interconnector has been identified as the project of common interest (PCI) by the EU, and was also included in the Spanish government’s recently approved 2021-2026 plan for the development of the electricity transmission network.

The new piece of infrastructure will help boost the power exchange to 4,200 MW from Spain to Portugal, and to 3,500 MW from Portugal to Spain, REE said. The interconnection will also contribute to the integration of some 239 GWh of renewable energy per year.

On the Spanish side, REE will build two new substations in the provinces of Ourense and Pontevedra and a line leading up to the Spain-Portugal border. From there, the line will go across Portugal’s district of Viana do Castelo.

REE said that will continue working to obtain the remaining permits for the project.

The Spanish government in March approved a EUR-6.96-billion plan for the power transmission infrastructure in an effort to improve the integration of renewables and build interconnections with its non-mainland territories and countries in the neighbourhood. Last week, REE announced a project to connect Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta with the grid system of the mainland.

(EUR 1.0 = USD 1.068)

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