The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), through the Institute for Diversification and Energy Saving (IDAE), has published the preliminary list of the 149 projects selected in the second call of the program REPOTEN CIRCULAR (REPOTEN 2), of aid for the renovation of old wind farms and hydroelectric installations of up to 50 MW. The draft provisional resolution includes 80 initiatives for the modernization of wind turbines and 69 for the technological and environmental renovation of hydroelectric plants of up to 50 MW, which would be distributed almost throughout the national territory. Can be consulted here.
En Asturias the renovation of the Camarmeña Hydroelectric Power Plant has a proposed aid of 800,000 euros; the La Florida Hydroelectric Power Plant, in Tineo, 1,050,000 euros; the Dragado de la Malva, in Soerra, 300,000 euros; the Camporriondi Hydroelectric Power Plant, in Amieva 2,043,806 euros; the Jocica Dam, in Amienta, 448,736 euros and the renovation of the Arbón Hydroelectric Power Plant, in Villayón, 2,500,000 euros..
Endowed with 512 million euros of funds NextGenEU of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR), with a budget extension of 75% to meet the high demand, this second edition reinforces the technological adequacy promoted by the first call, in which 186 million were already awarded. In this way, greater energy efficiency is guaranteed with a reduction in the number of wind turbines and with the capacity to operate in “grid forming” mode, both in the Spanish wind farm, and in a significant number of small hydroelectric plants.
In the list published by the IDAE, manager of the REPOTEN 2 program, highlights the wide territorial distribution of the projects, which are distributed throughout the autonomous communities except the Balearic Islands. Of particular note are the 35 projects in Galicia – 25 in wind farms and 10 in hydroelectric power plants – followed by the 24 projects in Andalusia (18+6) and Castilla y León (8+16).
STORAGE AND GENERATION
The majority of the projects selected in this phase are wind power retrofitting – Program 1, with 462 million endowments – as well as a third of the hydroelectric modernization projects – Program 2, with 50 million – with hybrid storage. In total, they add 2 GWh of new storage capacity and an additional generation power of 3.3 GW, which would mobilize an investment of more than 3.7 billion.
Given the provisional nature of the motion for a resolution, after the mandatory period of allegations, the dossiers resulting in beneficiaries could vary in the final resolution, as well as the results grouped together.
The call is carried out on a competitive basis, so that, for the allocation of aid to the files, criteria of: reduction of the aid requested, administrative feasibility, degree of innovation in support of the electrical system, location in areas of Fair Transition and Demographic Challenge are weighted, as well as criteria of resilience that revert to the strengthening of the national and European value chain.
The initiatives that result in benefits must be implemented before June 30, 2030, with the possibility of expansion until December 31, 2030, as established in the recent Ministerial Order of the MITECO which adapts the regulatory bases of various PRTR incentive programmes according to the criteria of the aid scheme defined by the European Commission.
NEW PLAN RENOVE
The technological leap involved in this new plan RENOVE It will result in a greater use of renewable resources in the sites already occupied, by replacing obsolete or old systems with new equipment at the cutting edge of technology. This will allow systems and equipment to be more productive and incorporate environmental impact mitigation innovations; they will also have a greater capacity to provide adjustment services and support to the electrical system. In addition, the refurbished facilities will consolidate and generate economic activity in rural areas.
In the case of wind technology, the re-empowerment also reduces the landscape impact and the occupied area, replacing a large number of old and small wind turbines with fewer larger equipment. In the projects subsidised in the first call, already started or still in development, each new wind turbine, of greater power and size, replaces approximately seven older machines.
Likewise, the modernization of hydroelectric generation equipment and infrastructures and the incorporation of automation systems boosts their energy efficiency and allows for the incorporation of environmental improvements. Among others, new fish passes to facilitate the migration of aquatic species, ensure minimum ecological flows and the flow of sediments, territorial integration or protection and restoration of specific habitats.
The actions included in the aid lines of CIRCULAR REEMPOWERMENT are aligned with the Revision of the PNIEC 2023-2030 of Spain, and with the Renewable Energy, Renewable Hydrogen and Storage PERTE (ERHA).