Red Eléctrica de España (REE) and Réseau de Transport d'Electricité (RTE), operators of the electricity systems of Spain and France respectively, yesterday allocated the electricity exchange capacity for the Spain-France interconnection for 2015. In this auction, held for the first time through the CASC.EU platform, authorised agents can obtain the right to use the exchange capacity available between the electricity systems, by submitting bids for each and every hour of the year.

In the direction France-Spain, 300 megawatts (MW) were offered and allocated, with a final price of 8.09 euros/MW, with capacity having been obtained by 8 of the 20 participating agents.

Meanwhile, in the direction Spain-France, 300 MW were also offered and allocated, establishing a final price of 3.82 euros/MW, with capacity having been obtained by 10 of the 23 participating agents.

These annual auctions for the 2015 period, conducted in accordance with the European regulation for cross-border electricity exchanges, have generated revenues of 21.5 million euros. Half of this total, corresponding to Spain, is earmarked for reducing the regulated costs of the Spanish electricity system.

Spain and France are connected via four high-voltage lines, owned by both transmission agents: two in the Basque Country (one 400-kilovolt -kV- line connecting Hernani with Argia, and another of 220 kV connecting Arkale to Argia as well), one in Aragon (220 kV between Biescas and Pragnères) and another in Catalonia (400 kV connecting Vic with Baixas). This set of lines allows a maximum exchange capacity of about 1,400 MW to be reached.

Currently, Red Eléctrica and its French counterpart are building a new interconnection through the Eastern Pyrenees, which will double the electricity exchange capacity between Spain and France, to 2,800 MW.

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