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ELECTRICITY

Sweden to double wind energy production in next four years

Wind energy is set to double its share of Sweden's power supply over the next four years as a string of giant projects come online.

Published: 3 April 2019 17:08 CEST
Sweden to double wind energy production in next four years
The Gabrielsberget wind project in Västerbotten. Photo: Swewind
The contribution of wind energy is scheduled to grow from 17TWh in 2018 to 35 TWh in 2022, taking wind's share from 12 percent to 25 percent of total power produced. 
 
Charlotte Unger, chief executive of the Swedish Wind Energy Association trade body said the pro-renewable policy decisions had been driving growth. 
 
“Sweden has the best regulatory regime for wind power projects from a European perspective, and therefore production costs the least here,” she told Swedish state broadcaster SVT.  “Investors have confidence in wind power in Sweden, and that's because of the policies that exist.” 
 
The largest new wind farm is the giant Markbyygden project outside Piteå, which is expected to supply 10TWh per year as it comes online in stages from this year, making it one of Europe's largest wind farms.  
 
Other major projects are the Överturingen wind farm in Västernorrland, Åskälen in Jämtland, and Valhalla in Gävleborg. 
 
The new farms will make up for the shutdown of two reactors at the Ringhals nuclear power station in 2019 and 2020. 
 
 
Because the majority of the new wind power projects are in the northern counties of Norrland, Västerbotten and Jämtland, the shift will require Sweden's state-owned grid operator Svenska Kraftnät to rapidly improve capacity, especially in central Sweden. 
 
But Niclas Damsgaard, the grid company's senior market strategist, said he believed the company would be able to keep pace with the growth. 
 
“It's going to work, but all this will mean an increase in risk. In an extreme case, some major industrial consumers may not be able to buy as much power as they want, but it's not going to mean difficulties across the country.”  
 
Unger said that if the new production exceeded Sweden's own needs, then the excess could be exported into Europe, reducing the continent's coal use. 
 
Between 2022 and 2040, the Swedish Wind Energy Association hopes to double the amount of wind power produced in  once again, taking it to half of Sweden's total power use.

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ELECTRICITY

KEY POINTS: How will Spain tackle rising electricity prices?

On Tuesday, the Spanish government approved a raft of measures to help reduce the ever-increasing electricity bills that those in Spain have been facing in recent months. Here's how they plan to do it and what measures will be in place going forward.

Published: 14 September 2021 18:13 CEST
KEY POINTS: How will Spain tackle rising electricity prices?
How the Spanish government plans on reducing electricity bills. Photo: Michael Schwarzenberger / Pixabay

Electricity prices have been rising to record levels recently, with one of the highest prices yet at €172.78 /MWh, expected on Wednesday, according to electricity market operator OMIE. 

Here’s how the government plan on lowering the price of electricity in Spain. 

Prohibiting companies from cutting off electricity for low-income families

The government has approved a new rule which states that vulnerable consumers (families with low incomes) will be able to benefit from 3.5kW of power – sufficient for an average household for six months – in the event that they are unable to pay. This means that the limit at which companies can now cut off the electricity supply of the most vulnerable has been extended from four to ten months.  

Tax cuts

Special tax on electric power has also been dropped from 5.1 percent to 0.5 percent, as promised by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez during his interview on TVE on Monday. The suspension of the tax on electricity production has also been extended.  

Electricity auctions

One of the most innovative decisions among these new measures is that the government will call auctions in which the large electricity companies such as Endesa, Iberdrola, Edp, and Naturgy will be obliged to sell a percentage of the energy they generate.  

These auctions, which will have a minimum price to guarantee production costs, will be attended by small trading companies and large industries. These companies will then be able to purchase energy cheaper than in the current wholesale pool. Mainly nuclear and hydroelectric plants will participate in this plan.

The government announced that the first auction will be called before the end of the year. 

Putting a cap on gas prices

During the next two quarters, the price of gas consumed by households will not be updated in accordance with market prices.

Third deputy Prime Minister Teresa Ribera explained that a price hike of more than 28 percent for gas in the wholesale market is expected, while on average the regulated rate will rise below five percent.

In addition, until March 31st 2022, the government will tax the profits of the electricity companies, due to the rise in gas prices. They have established a cap of €20 euros per megawatt hour for gas, and when it rises above that price, the extra profits obtained by the companies will be charged a tax that will be used directly to reduce electricity bills.

Maximum and minimum reservoir levels

After the controversial drainage of reservoirs by the electricity companies coinciding with the maximum prices in the wholesale market, the government has decided to set maximum flow levels that can be discharged each month, and minimum levels that must be maintained in the reservoirs.

This prevents an excessive amount of water from being drained. It will be the hydrographic confederations that will set these amounts.

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