New Boost to Electric Renewables in Castilla y León

With an installed capacity of 10.534 MW, Castilla y León’s share in the Spanish electric renewables’ capacity is 22%. As an average, electric renewables cover 149% of the electricity demand in the Region.

In the short and medium term, Castilla y León expects a huge growth in electric renewables, with an outlook of new 6.400 MW of installed capacity, fundamentally in PV and Wind.

Castilla y León’s current installed capacity in electric renewables adds up to 10.534 MW: 5.591 MW wind, 4.401 MW hydro, 495 MW PV and 47 MW biomass. Electric renewables account for 78% of the total installed electric capacity in Castilla y León, and the Region’s share in the Spanish electric renewables’ capacity is 22% (26% share in hydro, 24% in wind, 11% in PV).

149% of the electricity demand in Castilla y León (14.056 GWh) is covered by renewables, compared to 37% in Spain, as an average. Wind power covers 81% of the electricity demand, as an average, with peaks over 90%.

In a year, installed capacity in the region will increase by 915 MW in wind and 300 MW in PV. But in the medium term, total new developments in Castilla y León are expected to add up to 2.100 MW in wind and 4.300 MW in PV.

These new developments in electric renewables capacity will more than offset the closure of the four regional coal-fired generation plants (2.457 MW), expected by mid-2020. By then, electricity generation in Castilla y León will only come from renewables and CHP (Combined Heat and Power). But a new 50 MW biomass plant will start operation in 2020 in the heart of the coal mining area, creating 50 new jobs in the plant and 400 new jobs in the logistics to supply the biomass to the plant.

In economic terms, the new wind developments in the Region, solely, will mean an investment of 842 M€, 2.640 jobs during construction and commissioning, 2,5 M€ in land rentals, 21 M€ in municipal licenses and 3,7 M€ per year in municipal taxes. There is no similar support to the economy of rural areas by any other sector of activity.

Moreover, Spain will be able to meet its 2020 European goals in renewables thanks to the contribution from Castilla y León.