<article><p class="lead">Solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in mainland Spain surpassed coal-fired capacity last month after doubling in just one year, data released by power grid operator REE show.</p><p>Installed solar PV capacity rose by 378MW month on month to reach 9.276GW at the end of May, up from <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2106324">8.898GW</a> in April. This was the fastest capacity addition for solar PV so far this year.</p><p>Solar PV capacity ended last month above that of coal, which has been steady at 9.215GW since late 2018, when Spanish utility Naturgy <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/1801897">closed its 347MW Anllares plant</a>.</p><p>In May last year, solar PV capacity was at 4.62GW — which means it has doubled in just one year (<i>see Spain's solar PV installed capacity chart</i>).</p><p>And solar PV capacity should soon be more than double that of coal, as <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2113260">4.87GW</a> of coal-fired units are expected to close by 30 June, ahead of stricter EU-wide industrial emissions standards coming into force on 1 July.</p><p>Solar PV plants that recently came on line include the <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2107103">50MW La Solanilla</a> in Spain's central-western Extremadura region and the <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2109773">50MW Don Rodrigo 2</a> in the country's southeastern region of Andalusia.</p><p>Wind capacity was unchanged last month at 25.468GW but was expected to pick up again this month following the commissioning of the <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2111936">111MW Cavar wind power complex</a> by Spanish utility Iberdrola.</p><p>Fellow competitor Endesa today announced its subsidiary, Enel Green Power Espana, has brought on line the 14.4MW Oriche wind farm in the Teruel province, in the northeastern region of Aragon.</p><p class="bylines"><i>By Juan Weik</i></p><p><div class="picture"><div><span class="pic_title">Spain's solar PV installed capacity</span> <span class="units">GW</span></div><img src="https://argus-public-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/2020/06/11/spain'ssolarpvinstalledcapacity11062020031402.jpg"></div></article>
