The confrontation between Red Eléctrica and the Ministry of Ecological Transition by the blackout rises. Red Electrica raised a reform of the security criteria of the electrical system due to the highest renewable entry in May 2024. This proposal, which was in line with the warnings carried out by European operators, states that it did not consider that its implementation was urgent. The operator raised to the Ministry of Ecological Transition that the horizon of application of these new protection mechanisms was five years since the approval of the procedures, “if necessary”, affecting that it did not detect the need to apply such short -term measures.
Sources from the Ministry of Ecological Transition explained that the operator’s proposal was subject to public consultation and was received by the government on January 24. Since then, the department directed by Sara Aagesen has been working with it to incardine it in the review of the regulations related to electrical networks, which includes the review of investment limits in relation to GDP and other provisions with a view to maximizing the benefits of the next electricity planning with 2030 horizon.
Among the main problems identified by REE in this document, it is worth noting that renewable generators do not contribute to the network the same short -circuit intensity as traditional synchronous generators. This makes it difficult for electrical protections to identify with precision a breakdown and activate the disconnection mechanisms necessary to isolate it. “In areas with high renewable concentration, some protection functions may not act as expected,” says the text of the document, which affects that a fault not detected in time can cause the disconnection of large amounts of generation, leaving without supply to wide areas of the country. This threat not only affects the continuity of the service, but also the stability of the electrical system, especially in unworthy regions such as the islands.
Given this situation, the operator recommended adopting new protection architectures that include redundant systems, differential protections with independent communications and teleprotection schemes adapted to networks with strong renewable presence. In addition, he proposed to carry out specific studies for each area, analyzing the balance between synchronous and not synchronous generation, and adapting the protection settings accordingly.
Most of these proposals, in fact, were already analyzed years before by Red Electric. Specifically in the study of the system and needs for its operability on September 29, 2020, the company already indicated that decreasing levels of inertia (30% lower than the current one in 2030) in the system could involve risk of inadmissible frequency derivatives in the face of great imbalances. Need for additional provision of inertia (natural or through grid-forming controls in renewable generation) for 6% of the time in 2026.
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