Spain is set to make major investments in energy storage over the coming years. The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (Miteco) has published the final results of its funding call for storage projects. In total, 126 projects will receive €818.3 million from the European Regional Development Fund (Feder 2021–2027). The original funding allocation of €700 million was increased by nearly 17 percent due to strong demand.
Focus on hybrid storage solutions with solar
Of the selected projects, 69 are hybrid storage solutions, most of which are coupled with photovoltaics (38 projects) or wind power (18 projects). Nine projects combine storage with solar thermal power generation, while four more link both photovoltaics and wind power with storage technologies. In addition, 39 standalone battery storage projects, 15 thermal storage installations and three pumped-storage projects are being supported. Altogether, the funded projects are expected to provide an additional 2.2 GW of capacity and a storage volume of 9.4 GWh.
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According to Miteco, the projects must be implemented within 36 months of the final funding decision and completed no later than 31 December 2029. The PINALM funding line is managed by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE).
Regional distribution and selection process
Funding was allocated by region (Comunidades Autónomas), with a preference for less developed or transitioning regions. Projects were selected via a multi-stage process, initially prioritised by storage type and evaluation score. Unused funds were redistributed within the regions in subsequent rounds.
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Most projects will be implemented in Andalusia (31), the Valencia region (15) and Galicia (11). These are followed by Castile and León (10), Catalonia and the Canary Islands (nine each), Extremadura and Castile-La Mancha (eight each), as well as Aragón and Madrid (seven each). Additional projects are spread across Cantabria, Asturias, Murcia, the Basque Country and the Balearic Islands. (nhp)
