Red Eléctrica de España (REE) says sudden voltage variations in Spain’s electricity grid are linked to shifts in renewable energy generation, but there is no risk of power outages.
Spanish transmission system operator REE has warned regulators about sudden voltage fluctuations on the mainland grid, citing abrupt schedule changes in renewable energy generation and the response time of plants that provide dynamic voltage control.
While the electricity grid remains within regulatory limits, REE says the variations could lead to interruptions in generation or demand, undermining supply stability.
The operator has requested urgent, temporary approval from the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) to revise various operational procedures to strengthen voltage control and response capabilities. The changes would affect planning processes, technical limitations, secondary regulations and complementary voltage management.
REE plans to increase the voltage regulation compliance requirement to 90% and increase sampling to 60 values per period. It also plans to require line exchanges to reserve capacity for balancing markets, limiting their exposure to intraday trading.
As a precaution, while new procedures are being implemented, REE has temporarily limited the injection of renewable energy to avoid peaks in the electricity grid.
Media reports based on the letter suggested a potential risk of blackout, which REE denied on social media. “In light of the information published, we are issuing a reassuring message,” the report said. “We did not mention the risk of an imminent or widespread power outage. We recently observed voltage fluctuations that should be avoided but did not pose a risk to supply as they remained within acceptable limits.”
REE described the measures as routine and aimed at stabilizing an electricity grid that is increasingly affected by rapid production fluctuations from electricity generation. The operator cited the growing number of large renewable power plants connected at the transmission level, as well as smaller systems linked to self-consumption distribution networks, which it cannot directly monitor.
It added that increasing self-consumption during periods of strong solar generation has sharply reduced net transmission demand, leaving networks underloaded and more sensitive to variations in active power that affect grid voltage stability.
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