Why do we need battery energy storage systems in Spain?

Due to the large capacity of installed hydroelectric and thermal storage systems and the resilience of the Spanish power grid, the need for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in Spain has been relatively low. The lack of a clear regulatory framework for BESS has also hindered its development in Spain so far.

Are batteries a part of Spain's future energy system?

But now batteries have been acknowledged as in important part of Spain’s future energy system. According to the strategy, the government wants to add large-scale batteries in the electricity system, for behind-the-meter batteries a minimum value of 400 MW for 2030 is included and vehicle-to-grid technologies should be advanced.

How much energy storage capacity does Spain have?

When it comes to installed energy storage capacity in general, Spain is one of the leading countries within Europe (see figure 2). Currently, Spain has 6.3GW of hydroelectric and 1GW of thermal storage capacity installed. In fact, the non-BESS storage capacity in Spain is higher than in any other European country.

Is Spain a good country to build a battery?

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has rated Spain world number two for battery projects in an advanced stage of development, behind only the United States. The IEA says Spain is trailed by the United Kingdom, Australia, and Chile. From pv magazine España.

Is Spain ready for a low carbon transition?

The Spanish policy focus has now shifted to the flexibility required to support a low carbon transition. In Feb 2021, Spain announced a 20GW by 2030 storage target (~12GW increase from today). This represents a huge push for storage, with batteries set to dominate.

Are Spain's battery policy tailwinds strong?

There are a couple of important challenges that remain for batteries in Spain, for example, access to balancing market revenues and reform of network charging rules to prevent double charging. But the policy tailwinds are strong given the pivotal role that Spain has marked for storage as a source of flexibility.