This Holy Week has achieved a historical milestone in the energy sector in Spain: for the first time 100% could be covered of the electrical demand with renewables. However, behind this success there is a shadow that does not benefit the electricity grid: the Curtailment.
Short. The phenomenon Curtailmentor “renewable cut”, occurs when there is an excess of electric production. Then, the system operator – in this case, the Spanish electricity grid – is forced to temporarily reduce or stop wind turbines or solar panels to maintain the stability of the network, According to EDP Energy.
The root of the problem. Although there are optimal wind or sun, the REE must stop the renewable generation for two reasons. On the one hand, there may be excess production over hours that do not coincide with consumption peaks. On the other, As was already being discussedan energy inequality persists in the country: the “emptied Spain” produces and is far from the large consumption centers. As has detailed At eldiario.es, electrical networks were not designed to transport current volumes, creating bottlenecks that force production to stop.
The waste. He Curtailment It is causing consequences that alert experts. According to Aurora Energy Researchlast year in Spain, 1.7 Renewable Energy TWH was wasted, sufficient to supply 600,000 homes for a full year. The worrying, as the study has indicated, this figure represents 13% more than in 2023, confirming an upward trend that, if not corrected, can be intensified in the coming years.
An opening of solutions. Despite the cut there are different devices to be able to keep the network stable. First, continue building more large -scale storage systems through batteries either reversible hydroelectric plantsallowing to save the surplus to release it when necessary. Another system comes with an innovation of fingering by implementing Intelligent networks that combine IoT sensors with AI algorithms, capable of predicting excess production. These systems, complemented with digital twins that virtually replicate the behavior of the network, allow to optimize energy flows and reduce up to 30% spills, According to data collected by strategic energy.
Crossing borders. Looking towards the neighbors, interconnections could be improved with France and Portugal to channel surpluses. As has pointed out In the school environment, these connections will allow the export of energy to be planned in advance, although currently its capacity remains limited.
Forecasts Curtailment represents one of the greatest practical challenges of the Spanish energy transition. While Spain continues to beat records in renewable installation, the ability to take advantage of every kilowatt will make the difference between a truly sustainable energy model and another that, paradoxically, continues to waste part of its green potential.
Image | Joan Grifols and Pexels
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