Red Eléctrica de España has today published the Spanish Electricity System Report corresponding to 2014, which includes the most relevant data regarding the activity of the system during the year: the decline of the national electricity demand, lower than that recorded in 2013, hence prolonging the downward trend of recent years; the prominent role of renewable energies which have maintained their upward trend, although more moderate than in previous years, and the commissioning of 600 kilometres of new transmission line.

Regulatory framework

2014 is the first year in which the new regulatory framework for the electricity sector has been applied after the reform started in 2013 to ensure the financial stability of the electricity system.

Noteworthy in 2014 was the approval of the regulation that sets out the methodology for calculating the voluntary prices for small electricity consumers and establishes the legal system applicable for the contracting of this service.

Electricity demand

National demand for electrical energy reached 258,117 GWh, 1.1% lower than 2013. With regard to the peninsular electricity demand, this totalled 243,530 GWh, representing 1.2% less than last year. After factoring in the effects of seasonal and working patterns, the decline was 0.1%.

In the complete set of the non-peninsular systems (Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla) demand reached 14,588 GWh, representing a decrease of 0.8% year-on-year. By electricity system, the Balearic Islands fell 1.6% and the Canary Islands by 0.5%, while Ceuta and Melilla rose 5.1% and 0.1%, respectively.

Demand coverage

Renewable energies have maintained their prominent role in the overall production of electrical energy within the Spanish peninsular electricity system with a contribution that covered 42.8% of the total. The contribution of wind power was 20.3%, second only to nuclear energy which represented 22% of the total.

Meanwhile, hydroelectric energy, with a 15.5% share of the total, exceeded the figure for 2013, in which it represented 14.2% of the coverage, and coal reached 16.5% versus 14.6% the previous year.

Cogeneration and combined cycles have reduced their contribution, registering a share of 10.2% and 8.5%, respectively.

Regarding CO₂ emissions, increased coal-fired generation was offset by generation from renewable sources allowing emission levels to be kept at 60.5 million tonnes in 2014, similar to the 60.1 million in 2013.

Regarding the Balearic Islands’ electricity system, energy received through the submarine interconnection with the Spanish Peninsula covered 23.2% of the demand of the islands. In the Canaries, combined cycle covered 38.2% and fuel-gas power stations reduced their contribution to 53.8% from 57.2% in 2013.

Installed power capacity

Installed power capacity of the power generating stations that comprise the peninsular system remained stable compared to the previous year, with a reduction of only 0.1%. The largest decrease registered was coal that decreased its installed power by 159 MW.

Installed power capacity in the non-peninsular systems remained virtually unchanged, except in the Canary Islands where noteworthy was the incorporation of 12 MW on the island of El Hierro corresponding to a new power station that combines pumping and wind power.

New lines

During 2014, a total of 600 km of line circuit was brought into service, meaning the national transmission grid now totals 42,739 km. Included among the projects completed in 2014 was the underground direct current interconnection line with France between Santa Llogaia-Baixas, which will double the interconnection capacity between Spain and France hence increasing the security, stability and quality of supply between the two countries and facilitating the integration of renewable energies into the European grid.

The availability rate of the transmission grid on the Spanish peninsula reached 98.21%, up slightly on 2013 which was 98.2%. In the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, the rate was 98.01% and 98.35% respectively, compared to 97.97% and 98.3% the previous year.

International exchanges

The volume of scheduled international exchanges totalled 22,707 GWh, a decrease of 1.9% over 2013. Exports fell 12.6% (13,057 GWh versus 14,944 GWh in 2013), while imports increased 17.6% over the previous year, 9,651 GWh in 2014 and 8,209 in 2013).

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