Spain will increase its planned investment to develop its electricity transport network to over €17 billion by 2030, 30% more than the €13.6 billion initially proposed and 144% above the current plan.
The increase comes after analyzing the 2,566 comments received during the public consultation phase. This process led to upward revisions in both the investment and much of the infrastructure initially planned to support the growth of electrification, renewable energy generation, and energy storage.
“ This is the largest investment in electricity networks in the history of this country ,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, during her speech in the Congress of Deputies.
Furthermore, he linked the increase to the greater interest in connecting industry, housing and new generation to the system.
The new map now includes 193 substations , 17% more than in the proposal initially submitted for public consultation.
The length of the planned power lines also increases by 11%, reaching 6706 kilometers , while the existing infrastructure that will need to be upgraded grows by 6%, to 8164 kilometers .
The review also shows a significant change compared to previous planning cycles: demand now occupies the center of network development .
Of the proposals received, 41% were related to demand , slightly above generation, which accounted for 40%. Storage represented the remaining 19%.
This pressure is directly reflected in the new positions planned for the transmission network. Those intended to serve demand connected through the distribution networks increased by 52% compared to the original proposal, reaching 300 positions .
For consumers directly connected to the transport network, positions increased by 12%, to 162 .
Meanwhile, those destined for railway lines and port electrification increased by 75%, to 59 positions , reinforcing the growing importance of electrification for new uses within the planning.
Demand is gaining ground over generation and storage
The planned expansion responds to a transformation of the Spanish electricity system in which the network must simultaneously absorb more renewable generation and a growing volume of new consumption.
“Our energy policy has generated a great appetite for electrification: more industry, more housing and more renewables,” Aagesen said, explaining the increase in investment.
The change in scale is especially significant compared to the document that was released for public consultation. At that time, the Government proposed €13.6 billion to cover the identified needs up to 2030 and support the objectives of the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan 2023-2030.
Following the allegations, the budget increases by more than €3.4 billion .
The plan must now continue its processing before reaching its final version. But the newly announced scope anticipates a considerably larger expansion than initially planned: more investment, more substations, more kilometers of lines, and a growing weight given to demand in decisions about where to reinforce Spain's electricity infrastructure .