The Spanish government has approved a transmission network development plan for 2021-2026, hoping that by the end of the plan period, renewable energy will account for 67% of Spain's electricity mix and reduce the need for gas-fired power generation.

Spain's Ministry of Ecological Transition said the plan would involve a total investment of 6.96 billion euros. Of the total investment, nearly 1.9 billion euros will be used for the integration of renewable energy and the mitigation of technological constraints that prevent renewable energy from being absorbed. The ministry said nearly 1.5 billion euros will be invested in subsea interconnections with Spain's non-continental territories, while 1.26 billion euros will be spent on interconnections with France, Morocco, Portugal and Andorra.

The investment will result in the construction of 2,700 kilometers (1,678 miles) of new transmission lines, 700 kilometers of submarine cables and 8,000 kilometers of modernization of the existing grid infrastructure. In Spain, for the first time, transmission expansion plans are not being driven by demand growth, according to the ministry. It is derived from Spain's National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), which was drafted to promote renewable energy generation and maximize the use of the existing grid. Key words: overseas engineering, international engineering construction, foreign engineering construction news

According to recent calculations by Spanish grid operator Red Electrica de Espana (REE), in 2021, the share of renewables in total electricity generation in Spain will reach a record 46.7%.Editor/XuNing