Biogas policy in Spain
General
The whole spectrum of renewable energy policies is laid down in the Program for
Promotion of Renewable Energies 2005-2010 (PPER or PFER in Spanish). Revised
version of PFER 2000-2010, the strategic target of PFER is to achieve by 2010 a
12% of primary energy consumption by renewables (with, a.o., a 30.3%
contribution of renewables to electricity consumption), through a joint
combination of subsidies, tax exemptions and feed-in-tariffs for electricity
production. The total investment for the realisation of the renewable energy
plan (PPER) for the period 2005-2010 is estimated to 23,600 M€, from
which 36% (8,490 M€) would be contributed by public support (feed-in
tariff electricity: 4,960 M€, biofuels: 2,850 M€, subsidy direct to
the projects: 680 M€).
According to the Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources the target
for the share of energy from renewable sources in gross final consumption of
energy in the year 2020 for Spain is 20% (in the year 2005 the share was 8.7%).
The Directive has a mandatory 10 % target for transport to be achieved by all
Member States, which refers to renewable sources as a whole, not biofuels
alone.
Renewable energy projections according to the National Renewable Energy
Action Plan for Spain
The National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) for Spain was submitted in
July 2010. The target according to Annex I of Directive 2009/28/EC is 20% for
the year 2020 and the projected NREAP share in that year is 22.7%. According
to the projection, the most important contribution in the year 2020 is expected
from wind power (78.3 TWh or 6729 ktoe, 31% of all renewable energy). Second
important contribution is expected from biomass (renewable heating and cooling)
(4950 ktoe, 22% of all renewable energy). The third largest contribution is
from hydropower (39.6 TWh or 3404 ktoe, 15% of all renewable energy). Wind
power contributes with 38.0 GW (78.3 TWh) in the year 2020 (onshore wind 35.0
GW and 70.5 TWh, offshore wind 3.0 GW and 7.8 TWh). For solar photovoltaic the
2020 contribution is projected to be 8.4 GW (14.3 TWh). For solar thermal the
2020 contribution is projected to be 644 ktoe. The two most important biofuels
are projected to contribute 3100 ktoe (biodiesel) and 400 ktoe (bioethanol /
bio-ETBE) by 2020. The renewable electricity production from solid biomass
amounts to 7.4 TWh (636 ktoe) and for biogas it is expected to be 2.6 TWh (225
ktoe). The consumption of renewable heat is expected to amount to 4850 ktoe for
solid biomass and 100 ktoe for biogas.
Renewable heat and electricity: biogas
As a result of rising electricity price in recent years, the producers of
renewable electricity had increased revenues within the previous feed-in
system, in which both feed-in tariffs and premi-ums were coupled to the
reference electricity price or average electricity tariff (AET). In order to
impulse biogas production in Spain, in May 2007 adjustments were introduced in
Royal De-cree 661/2007 “Regulating the electricity production under the
special scheme”, [1] that im-proved both the fixed tariffs and the
premiums for biogas generation, distinguishing among in-stallations with a
capacity of less or equal than 500 kW and installations with a capacity of more
than 500 kW. According to RD 661/2007 the premiums and fixed tariffs are no
longer coupled to reference electricity price. Besides, in case of premium, a
cap and floor has been introduced per each category of renewables. The floor is
the lowest level of premium plus electricity price, and the cap is the maximum
electricity price to where a premium is still paid.
This new system protects the promoter when the income derived from the market
price is too low, and removes the premium when the income is high enough to
ensure breaking even.
The premium tariffs are paid on an hourly basis. The amounts of tariffs,
premiums, supplements and cap&floor limits will be annually updated having
the consumer price index (CPI) as a reference minus 25% until the 31st December
2012 and minus 50% since then. Besides, during 2010, in view of the
results of the follow-up reports on the degree of fulfillment of the targets
set out in the national “Renewable Energies Plan (PER) 2005-2010”
as well as the new objec-tives included in the following national Renewable
Energies Plan for the period 2011-2020, the review of tariffs, premiums,
supplements and cap&floor limits will take place, bearing in mind the costs
associated with each of these technologies, the extent of participation in the
special scheme in the meeting of the demand and its effect on the technical and
economical system, al-ways guaranteeing reasonable profitability rates with
reference to the price of money on the capital market. After that, every four
years a new revision will be done, maintaining the criteria above.
RD 661/2007 also establishes an objective for reference installed capacity for
category b.7 (in which biogas is included) of 250 MW, which is coherent with
the targets set in the national “Renewable Energies Plan
2005-2010”.
The 2007 tariffs, premiums and cap&floor for biogas are presented below
[1].
|
|
Installed Power |
|
|
|
<= 0,5MWe |
>0,5MWe |
|
Period 1 (years) |
1-15 |
1-15 |
|
Period 2(years) |
>15 |
>15 |
|
Fixed
price period 1 (€ct/kWh) |
13.1 |
9.7 |
|
Fiwed
price period 2 (€ct/kWh) |
6.5 |
6.5 |
|
Reference
premium priod 1 (€ct/kWh) |
9.8 |
5.8 |
|
Reference
premium period 2 (€ct/kWh) |
0.0 |
0.0 |
|
Cap (€ct/kWh) |
15.3 |
11.0 |
|
Floor (€ct/kWh) |
12.4 |
9.6 |
Future programme changes expected
No information on future policy.
Source:
[1] Royal Decree 661/2007. 25th May 2007
[2] Rodrigo Gonzalo, M.: Personal communication. IDAE, June
2008
[3] Interactive EurObserv’ER Database,
http://www.eurobserv-er.org (status 2007)
The
National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAPs) are all published on the
Transparency Platform on Renewable Energy: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/renewables/transparency_platform/action_plan_en.htm
(sourced July - December 2010)
Renewable Energy Projections as Published in the National Renewable Energy
Action Plans of the European Member States, http://www.ecn.nl/nreap
(sourced December 2010)
Interactive
EurObserv’ER Database
http://www.eurobserv-er.org
Last update: December 2010
This information canbe referenced without permission provided that the source
is mentioned completely and correctly: 'Interactive EurObserv'ER Database,
http://www.eurobserv-er.org (date of last update)'
Suggestions for improvements to the policy description can be sent to
EurObserv'ER by e-mail: project@eurobserv-er.org
The EurObserv'ER barometer is a project supported by the European Commission
within the DG ENER 'Intelligent Energy Europe' programme and by Ademe, the
French Environment and Energy management Agency. The EurObserv'ER Barometer is
the result of the investigation and research work of its authors. The European
Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information
contained therein.