Spanish solar PV capacity doubles in a year to top coal

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.

Installed solar PV capacity rose by 378MW month on month to reach 9.276GW at the end of May, up from 8.898GW in April. This was the fastest capacity addition for solar PV so far this year.

Solar PV capacity ended last month above that of coal, which has been steady at 9.215GW since late 2018, when Spanish utility Naturgy closed its 347MW Anllares plant.

In May last year, solar PV capacity was at 4.62GW — which means it has doubled in just one year (see Spain's solar PV installed capacity chart).

And solar PV capacity should soon be more than double that of coal, as 4.87GW 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.

Solar PV plants that recently came on line include the 50MW La Solanilla in Spain's central-western Extremadura region and the 50MW Don Rodrigo 2 in the country's southeastern region of Andalusia.

Wind capacity was unchanged last month at 25.468GW but was expected to pick up again this month following the commissioning of the 111MW Cavar wind power complex by Spanish utility Iberdrola.

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.

By Juan Weik

Spain's solar PV installed capacity GW