Energy Law covers the regulations applicable to the production, distribution and development of energy resources. Renewable energies, as clean and almost inexhaustible resources, have gained great importance in Spain in recent years.
In Spain, the trading status is necessary to sell or resell energy on the market, a lucrative activity, although burdensome in practice for some market players. Collective self-consumption, and the approach of a specific contractual structure, stand out as alternatives to energy commercialisation.
The approval of temporary regulations by the EU and the Spanish Government to speed up the processing of EIS (environmental impact statements) provides an incentive to boost the development of renewable energy projects in Spain.
In line with the European strategy to increase the production and use of renewable energy, the European Commission has promoted renewable electricity to produce renewable liquid and gaseous fuels of non-biological origins, such as hydrogen. To this end, it has defined the requirements that hydrogen and other hydrogen-based fuels must meet to be “green”, reducing some of the legal uncertainty.
Self-consumption is how a person or company supplies itself with electricity through its installation, instead of buying it from a supplier. Collective self-consumption is a modality in which several persons jointly use a photovoltaic installation to benefit from the energy generated without registering as marketers.
Hydrogen is a highly reactive chemical acquired through a process known as electrolysis by which electrical currents facilitate the breakdown of water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen.
Energy retailers are companies that access the transmission or distribution networks, acquire energy and sell it to final customers. Registration as an energy retailer company requires fulfilling some requirements.
Hydrogen production is an industrial activity classified within the chemical industry to produce inorganic gas. Its regulatory framework is still limited in Spain; hence, the application of other regulations prevails.
Green hydrogen appears to be a hot topic in the renewable energy sector. Many argue that Spain could be the ideal place for developing these projects, thanks to its plenty of sun and available land. Learn more about the legal framework for the development of “green hydrogen production projects in Spain.
The changes introduced by Royal Decree-Law 23/2020 and Royal Decree 1183/2020 include important innovations regarding the future identification of free network capacity for energy projects in Spain and grant important benefits in cases of hybridization of projects. The new regulation also provides clarity in the case of modification of projects that already have grid connection and feed-in authorization.
Renewable energy projects development in Spain requires a security deposit of EUR 40/kW. Linking this requirement to strict deadlines is encouraging active projects. Learn more about the most relevant regulations: Royal Decree-Law 23/2020, dated June 23, 2020, and the latest Royal Decree 1183/2020, dated June 23, 2020.