PPAs, digitalisation and industrial investment: FES Iberia brings together the keys to boosting electricity demand

Electricity demand across mainland Spain fell by 0,8% year-on-year in May, according to the latest monthly report from Red Eléctrica de España. In gross terms, electricity demand in Spain for May 2025 is estimated at 19,328 GWh, which is 1% lower than the level recorded in May 2024.

From January to May 2025, total electricity demand reached 103,067 GWh, marking a 0.8% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

When adjusting for calendar effects and temperature fluctuations, demand shows a more modest growth of 0.3%.

Rather than viewing this figure with concern, key players in the energy sector propose reading it as a turning point  an opportunity to reimagine growth and stimulate demand through emerging drivers. FES Iberia 2025 is shaping up to be a strategic forum to outline these responses. The panel discussion titled "Boosting demand and new opportunities: PPAs, Data Centres and Public Policy, scheduled for 6 June, will feature industry leaders including Spain DC, AEGE and TotalEnergies.

The session will explore ways to stimulate demand in a structural, sustainable and economically viable way.

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The data centre sector is increasingly seen as a cornerstone for new demand generation. According to Spain DC, the country"s data centre association, installed capacity currently stands at 355 MW, but is projected to surpass 2,000 MW within five years, backed by an estimated 58 billion euros in investment by 2030.

In addition to scaling infrastructure, Spain DC is advancing initiatives that focus on renewable integration, operational efficiency, workforce development and strategic stakeholder engagement.

Begoña Villacís, Executive Director of SPAINDC, will represent the association at FES Iberia, where she will present the sector"s role in supporting Spain"s digital transformation and anchoring new electricity demand in the process.

Spain"s electro-intensive industrial sector remains a pillar of national electricity consumption. The Association of Large Energy Consumers (AEGE) represents 30 companies operating 89 plants, which account for 7% of the country"s total electricity demand.

AEGE calls for regulatory conditions that enable competitive power purchase agreements (PPAs), stable electricity contracts and long-term cost predictability, all crucial for industrial decarbonisation and competitiveness.

Pedro González, Director General of AEGE, will speak at FES Iberia, where he is expected to put forward proposals to align energy market instruments with the needs of energy-intensive industries and facilitate new consumption aligned with renewable supply.

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On the supply side, TotalEnergies is implementing a robust strategy to match the future evolution of demand. The company already operates over 1,000 MW of solar PV in Spain and is developing more than 4 GW of additional capacity across Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, Aragón and Madrid.

One of its flagship projects is the 263 MW Guillena solar plant in Seville, now the largest such facility operated by TotalEnergies in Europe.

It is expected to generate 515 GWh annually, covering the electricity needs of around 150,000 homes.

Gonzalo Barba, Managing Director of TotalEnergies in Spain, will present the company"s roadmap at FES Iberia, highlighting how generation, storage and hybrid systems can be deployed to support expanding demand from both industrial and digital sources.

There is broad consensus among these stakeholders: reactivating electricity demand requires a multisectoral approach.

While data centres represent fast-growing digital consumption, industrial players seek long-term pricing predictability through PPAs, and renewable developers like TotalEnergies are investing in scalable, clean infrastructure.

FES Iberia 2025 will serve as a platform to align strategies, exchange experiences, and influence public policy. What appears as a short-term drop in demand may, in fact, mark the beginning of a new cycle  if the ecosystem responds with coordination, investment and long-term vision.

In fact, FES Iberia has become the most influential networking platform for the renewable energy sector in the Ibero-American region. Each edition fosters high-level meetings and strategic dialogues that enable partnerships and shape new roadmaps for project development.

In 2025, the summit once again brings together the full value chain of the clean energy sector in Spain and Latin America, in an environment designed to facilitate actionable agreements and drive forward the energy transition.

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