Brussels, 20/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - The new electrical interconnection line between France and Spain, which was opened with great ceremony on Friday 20 February, will double the electricity exchange capacity between the two countries, from 1400 to 2800 MW, and will help to integrate the Iberian market to the European energy markets whilst encouraging use of renewables.
Opened by the French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, and his Spanish counterpart, Mariano Rajoy, at a ceremony attended by the Commissioner for Climate and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, and the European coordinator, Mario Monti, this new electricity line between Santa Llogaia and Baixàs was a European project of priority interest launched in 2008. With a total pricetag of €700 million, which was shared equally by the French and Spanish electricity transport network managers, RTE and Red Electrica respectively, through their joint subsidiary Inelfe, the EU put €255 million into the project as part of a European energy programme to aid recovery and supported by an EIB loan of €350 million.
This new connection, which includes a central tunnel 8.5 kilometres in length cut through the Pyrenees and a conversion station at either end, breaks three records: length (64 kilometres, beating the previous record of a 40 km line in Tokyo), output and tension.
The aim of the project was to secure electricity supply for France and Spain, by focusing on the complementarity of the energy mixes of the two countries and their differing consumption profiles. French electricity production is dominated by nuclear, whilst its neighbour's comes largely from renewable energies.
This project was held up for a long time by strong opposition from local residents and ecologists, particularly on the French side. To safeguard the environment, no fewer than 181 commitments were made over the 15 months of consultation carried out (2009-2011), RTE states in a press release.
The Vice-President of the Commission in charge of the Energy Union project, Maros Sefcovic, welcomed the achievement. “By connecting member states and energy markets, we will be stronger together. We need many more examples like this all over Europe”, he commented. As part of the package for the Energy Union, which he is to unveil on 25 February, Sefcovic will present a communication on ways of achieving 10% electrical interconnection in all member states by 2020.
“To date, the electricity interconnection capacity between France and Spain only covered 3% of peak demand in the Iberian peninsular. The very low level of interconnection capacity is a major obstacle for the creation of a regional electricity market in south-west Europe and it has prevented the energy companies of the Iberian peninsular from participating in the EU internal electricity market”, the Commission states. (Emmanuel Hagry)