STORAGE NEEDED

NEW targets for renewable energy being set by Spain are likely to be missed, unless supporting infrastructure is rapidly built.

This is the message from consultancy Afry after the government pledged to raise its targets for installed solar and wind capacity to 75 GW and 60 GW by 2030.

The current targets are 39 GW for solar and 50 GW for wind, with currently 20 GW and 30 GW, respectively installed.

There have been persistent calls for the Spanish government to do more to hit climate-related energy targets and for massive investment, with the raised figures welcomed by many in the renewable energy industry.

But Javier Revuelta of Afry claims the latest targets are ‘completely unrealistic’ unless energy storage solutions are found quickly.

If not, the price of renewable energy may plunge as installed capacity shoots up, leading to surpluses with no way of storing the extra energy during times of high output.

This in turn could affect the stability of the marketparticularly long term purchase agreements (PPAs) - making future investment less likely.