Source: cleanenergynews.ihsmarkit.com
The Spanish government's strategy to cope with high energy prices will see floating PV installed in reservoirs connected to hydropower dams.
The idea was hidden within a package of measures shielding Spain's economy from the impacts of war in Ukraine amid high fuel costs leading to protests. It was put out for a public consultation open until 7 April, which may mean potential changes to the proposed royal decree.
Seeking to build floating PV plants on dammed reservoirs, the government wants to pass a regulation to determine what conditions must be included in licensing and 25-year concessions to run the PV plants, mentionné Spain's energy transition ministry, MITECO.
L'Espagne compte environ 100 réservoirs publics-, car les plans d'eau naturels comme les rivières sont considérés comme des biens publics.
Up to three floating PV farms per reservoir could be combined with each hydropower dam to increase its overall capacity and optimize its use. "These plants will also have higher energy efficiency than terrestrial systems thanks to the cooling effects of the water and the reduction in the presence of dust," said MITECO.
Spain intends to use new floating PV plants towards meeting the aim of 74 percent renewables within power generation by 2030, laid down in its Loi sur le changement climatique et la transition énergétique.
However, Spain may need more time to develop the novel scheme than is available in the current energy crisis. "Spain's plan to create a framework for installing solar panels on public dams would contribute to an accelerated uptake of such installations and enable an even greater deployment of PV in Spain," said SP Global Commodity Insights' Research and Analysis Manager, Solar and Clean Energy Technology, Josefin Berg.
"However, it is likely to take a while to roll out the new scheme and develop the projects, so this new framework will not be a near-term solution for Spain's electricity challenges," she said.
MITECO also intends to study the evolution of floating solar technology, as the concept is still new in the country. "Few countries have to date put in place legislation to specifically address floating PV," said Berg.
La Chine en tête du PV flottant
Le PV flottant a tendance à être coûteux et a toujours été éclipsé par des technologies telles que le PV solaire monté au sol- et sur le toit-.
While Spain is Europe's second-largest market for traditional PV with 3.8 GW installed last year, it is looking to regulate and expand its floating PV sector for the first time.
La Chine est déjà bien en tête. Alimentation gouvernementale-en-Les subventions tarifaires en Chine ont fait progresser le développement d'environ 1,2 GW de capacité solaire flottante, soit plus de la moitié de la capacité mondiale de 2,2 GW en 2020, selon un rapport de SP Global Commodity Insights .
Last year, Huaneng Power International (HPI) launched a 320 MW floating PV facility in China's Shandong province, currently the world's largest.
Jusqu'en 2025, la croissance du PV flottant sera menée par l'Inde, la Corée du Sud, le Vietnam et la Chine continentale, qui, ensemble, devraient représenter 56 % de toutes les installations. En Indonésie, un promoteur construit actuellement l'énorme projet photovoltaïque flottant de 2,2 GW au réservoir de Duriangkang.
The Netherlands had the most floating PV capacity in Europe in 2020 and France is home Europe's largest floating solar plant, developer Akuo Energy's 17 MW O'MEGA1 project.
Renewables to relieve Spain's electricity crisis
The La Commission européenne prévoit du gaz naturel régional shortages caused by the war in Ukraine adding to the costs EU consumers face.
Under more pressure after struggling with high electricity and gas costs for most of last year, Spain and Portugal gained an "Iberian exception" to EU rules that forbid adjusting power prices at a meeting on 25 March.
Spain has some of the highest electricity prices in the EU (on average €0.22/kWh) according to research from the Polytechnic University of Valencia.
The package of policies in The National Response Plan approved this week by the Council of Ministers provides relief for the "most impacted sectors and vulnerable groups."
In the proposed package, Spain plans to spend €16 billion (17.69 billion) to cope with Ukraine-war-related energy market shocks while it promises aid for refugees, boosts cybersecurity, doles out loan guarantees for distressed businesses and financial support for agriculture.
Spain also offered a €1.4 billion subsidy to lower fuel costs for the transportation sector, after truck drivers in the country went on nationwide strikes over fuel costs.
Aiming to tackle high energy bills, Spain's government wants to tweak energy costs in ways that "prevent an inflationary spiral" and has suspended certain power taxes, lowered grid fees for energy-intensive industries, and offered financial support for sectors that use more gas.
Les producteurs renouvelables pourront vendre leur électricité en dehors du marché de gros à partir du 1er janvier 2023 pour étendre l'électricité bon marché disponible pour les ménages.
Des pipelines sont en cours de préparation pour les gaz renouvelables, y compris l'hydrogène, et les opérateurs de réseau doivent autoriser l'allocation de 10 % de la capacité du réseau à une extension de 7 GW du système solaire sur les toits des consommateurs et des industries.
