The National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) has published a resolution on Monday afternoon in which it addresses the electricity companies and refuses to approve the urgent modification of operating procedure 7.4, key for voltage control. The lack of control of tension was at the origin of the blackout on April 28 that left the Iberian Peninsula without electricity. Red Eléctrica reported at the end of September that sudden voltage variations were occurring in the Spanish electrical system, which could “have an impact on the security of supply”, a problem that it blames on renewables, as stated by the CNMC, and that could generate a new blackout, for which it had requested a series of modifications to the processes.
The companies that own the synchronous plants – a characteristic offered by nuclear, gas and hydroelectric plants -, mainly in the hands of Iberdrola, Endesa and Naturgy, had made allegations in which they warned that said changes proposed by Red Eléctrica to avoid new blackouts will not solve the problem and on the contrary could damage the plants’ machines. The regulatory oversight room thus takes up the gauntlet of the companies and has decided that these changes be subjected to a more in-depth analysis before making any decision. What it has approved are changes in operating procedures 3.1 of the programming process, 3.2 of the technical restrictions and 7.2 of the secondary regulation.
“In view of these allegations and the technical analyzes presented and, in particular, the statements of the synchronous generators regarding the impossibility of compliance with the proposed obligations, as well as the risk that this could pose for the integrity of the generating machines or the system itself, according to their statements, this Commission considers that the modification of OP7.4 requires a more in-depth analysis by all the actors involved, so its adoption is not appropriate. immediately, as long as the evidence provided by the subjects in the hearing process and its implications have not been appropriately analyzed,” concludes the regulator, who has in turn requested that asynchronous groups (renewable ones) contribute to said voltage control.
After the great blackout in April, energy companies took advantage of the situation to, established in the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC), offer a type of energy that gives stability to the system, a characteristic that renewables such as photovoltaics or wind power lack. The nuclear power plant that has its closest closure is that of . The decommissioning of reactor I is scheduled for November 2027 and that of reactor II for October 2028.
The CNMC has also warned that the changes could have an added cost for the consumer. For this reason, he has asked that the measures be temporary, specifically with an initial duration of about 30 days, extendable up to three months. “The requested measures could have a significant impact on balance, restrictions and voltage control services, as well as on the negotiation possibilities of production facilities in all markets. Specifically, the tightening of the conditions for the provision of services could result in a reduction in supply and, with it, in competitiveness in the markets, and/or result in an increase in the cost borne by demand,” the entity has indicated. regulator.
The Ministry of Ecological Transition has thanked the CNMC for launching a work plan to analyze the behavior of the facilities “that currently must provide the voltage control service and to expedite the authorization processes of the subjects who will provide said service, in accordance with the review of OP 7.4, in order to implement this structural solution for voltage control as quickly as possible.”
