en.Wedoany.com Reported - The reallocation of transmission capacity freed up by the closure of thermal power plants in Spain's Just Transition tender faces significant adjustments. Four years after the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) awarded 1,202 MW of available capacity at the 400 kV Mudéjar node to Enel Green Power España, the final capacity approved and connected will be far lower than initially expected due to restrictions imposed during the project's environmental impact assessment.
The tender, awarded in November 2022, marked a regulatory milestone: it was the first time that the allocation of grid access capacity was linked to commitments to create jobs, investment, and promote socio-economic development in areas where fossil fuel facilities were closing. The aim was to offset the economic impact of the closure of the Andorra (Teruel) thermal power plant and its associated coal mines.
Enel Green Power España's proposal, which entered a public consultation period in 2024, initially planned to install 1,844 MW of renewable energy and storage capacity, including 1,069 MW of solar photovoltaic, 695 MW of wind power, and 80 MW of batteries. Specifically, it involved building seven hybrid solar photovoltaic plants, seven hybrid wind farms, two energy storage stations, and one electrolyzer for producing green hydrogen. These facilities would achieve an installed capacity of 1,844 MW, comparable to the power generated by Endesa's Andorra thermal power plant before its closure in mid-2020. The strategy was to exceed the available 1,202 MW of connectable capacity to optimize the utilization of existing power infrastructure.
However, the Environmental Impact Statement (DIA) published in February 2026 significantly scaled back the project. Environmental constraints from reports by the General Directorate for Environmental Quality and Assessment, the Aragon Environmental Management Authority (INAGA), and the General Directorate for Natural Environment Protection of the Government of Aragon limited the approvable generation and storage capacity to 406.3 MW. Key restrictions include measures related to runoff management, river and water source protection, and the protection of specific habitats and species.
Ultimately, Enel Green Power España will only use 265 MW of the initially awarded 1,202 MW of access capacity, representing just 22% of the capacity involved in the tender. Consequently, 937 MW of grid access capacity will be released. In response, MITECO announced an amendment to Order TED/1182/2021 to allow the reallocation of this remaining capacity to other participants in the tender, respecting the priority order established in the original award. The proposal will be open for public consultation in the coming weeks, with the aim of completing the process by autumn 2026.
The reduction in renewable energy projects will also directly impact the associated socio-economic commitments. While Endesa's initial proposal anticipated creating approximately 500 stable direct jobs and a total of over 6,300 positions, the proportional adjustment approved by the Institute for Just Transition will reduce this to 13 full-time equivalent direct jobs during the construction and commissioning phase, 71 direct jobs during operation and maintenance, and 1,310 indirect jobs. The tender's initial expectations included creating around 4,400 jobs during facility construction and nearly 650 permanent positions related to the operation of associated energy and industrial projects, alongside an investment of over €1.5 billion.
Despite the significant cuts, the ministry insists that the region's just transition strategy is progressing. According to MITECO data, €520 million has been mobilized to date to finance 180 business, municipal, and ecological restoration projects in the area, with commitments to create over 500 jobs.
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