The Wind Energy Business Association (AEE) is holding a new edition of the technical and technological knowledge forum for the wind energy sector in Spain, the ‘Operational Analysis of Wind Farms’ conference. More than 200 experts are meeting to analyse and discuss improvements in the operation and maintenance of Spanish wind farms.
Spain is one of the few countries within the major European economies that has achieved renewable electricity generation of more than 50% of demand and in which wind power already occupies 25% so far this year. With more than 31 GW installed, the wind energy sector is in good health. A competitive position that we must not lose, with more than 40,000 professionals working in the sector.
Rocío Sicre, president of AEE, at the opening of the day
The recently published PNIEC sets the target of 62 GW of wind power in 2030, which includes 3 GW of offshore wind power. We have 5 years to achieve this goal, and it is doubling the current figure of installed wind power in Spain. In 2023, 607 MW were installed (annual figure necessary to meet PNIEC objectives of 2-2.5 GW). So far in 2024, the figures for new power are better, with 1 GW already installed, but far from the new power needed. This slowdown in the start-up of new installations is a consequence of the lack of agility in obtaining permits, mainly in the years 2020-2022.
“We need more wind power and faster” highlighted Rocío Sicre, president of AEE, at the opening of the day. “Maintaining the production capacity of the wind power contingent in Spain must be an energy, economic, climatic and industrial priority for the country. But not only maintaining the production capacity of our parks, but increasing it progressively and with ambition to meet the path of the new Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan 2023-2030, all while guaranteeing the sustainability of investments.”
Sicre has referred to several challenges that the sector is working on: “The protection of our industry, since wind power is the only renewable technology that can today be manufactured on a large scale entirely in Europe, and this requires industrial policy measures that ensure the value chain made in and by Europe. Strengthening the capacities of the Spanish value chain and monitoring compliance with international trade rules to avoid anti-competitive practices is necessary to protect the wind industry.”
The president of AEE has highlighted the role of renewable energy auctions, with an evolved design that complies with the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA), that takes into account criteria and standards of added value beyond pure price, with quotas for technologies and focused on maximizing the decarbonization of the mix, and with a long-term calendar and visibility, essential elements for promoter companies to invest in wind power.
Another challenge is to increase electrification, as well as the mandatory coupling of the growth of renewable generation to the increase in electricity demand, if we want to avoid extreme scenarios.
The judicialization of projects in certain territories such as Galicia is of great concern to the sector and is another objective to be solved, since it sends a message of legal uncertainty that affects investment decisions.
More challenges that will mark the future of the sector are the deployment in the territory of new wind farms with information, respect, sensitivity and anticipation, focused on the good coexistence of wind power with society and the environment. And the future development of floating offshore wind power on our coasts is another challenge. The recently approved Royal Decree on offshore wind power is a great milestone, but we need to continue to move forward with the next regulatory steps in order to have the first auction in 2025, as well as an indicative calendar for the following years.
Main topics of technical analysis in the day
This new edition of ‘Operational Analysis of Wind Farms’ shows us the main advances in the sector linked to achieving the expected availability, optimising asset management costs and introducing improvements in production for a given primary resource.
Among the topics being analysed, the growing penetration of renewable energy in the electrical system, both on the peninsula and in the islands, is one of them, as well as the introduction of new solutions, both technological and in terms of design and diagnosis, to allow and improve the operation of the plant in accordance with the initially planned conditions.
