The Project enables increasing the interconnection capacity between Portugal and Spain, in line with the objectives established in the Iberian Electricity Market (“MIBEL”) framework and those of cross-border capacity defined at the European level.

Higher and more variable energy flows are expected between the two countries due to the increase in installed generation power based on variable sources and market exchanges.

The Project is part of the new 400 kV interconnection axis between Minho and Galicia, connecting the Beariz and Fontefría substations, in Spain, and the Porto area, passing through the Ponte de Lima and Vila Nova de Famalicão¹ substations, in Portugal.

The new interconnection between Portugal and Spain includes a double overhead line axis at 400 kV between Beariz (Spain) – Fontefría (Spain) – Ponte de Lima (Portugal), including the new 400 kV substations of Beariz and Fontefría, in Spain, and Ponte de Lima, in Portugal.

The cross-border section, Fontefría – Ponte de Lima, in a double overhead line, will have only one circuit installed in the initial phase. Total estimated length: 90 km, with 18 km in Spain² and 72 km in Portugal³.

¹The section between Vila Nova de Famalicão and the Ponte de Lima area is already in service.

²Spanish section between the Fontefría substation and the Spain-Portugal border.

³Portuguese section between the Ponte de Lima substation and the Spain-Portugal border.

The Project will enable increasing the interconnection capacity between Spain and Portugal, enabling a more efficient operation of the MIBEL, with an impact on the development of the single European electricity market.

The broad operation of the MIBEL depends on the existence of an interconnection capacity that allows exchanges of electrical energy with a reduced number of events of network congestion, both in the Portugal→Spain direction and in the Spain→Portugal direction.

The Project’s execution enables sustainably reaching a minimum value of 3,000 MW of commercial interconnection capacity in both directions, as agreed at the Iberian Summit between the Governments of Portugal and Spain, also meeting the cross-border capacity objectives defined at European level.

According to the studies conducted under TYNDP 2020, as a consequence of the resulting increase in interconnection capacity between Portugal and Spain, the Project provides, in the 2030 horizon, a reduction in variable generation costs from €1429M/year to €6091M/year, depending on the scenarios, also taking into account the increase in interconnection capacity between the grids of France and Spain foreseen for that time horizon.

Additionally, the Project will also enable, in the 2030 horizon, avoiding a loss of generation from renewable energy sources in the order of 185 to 2,400 GWh/year, depending on the scenarios.

This Project is especially relevant for the implementation of the European Union’s energy policy targets, namely:

• Increasing the level of integration of MIBEL and its integration with the European market, thus promoting competition.
• Obtaining synergies from complementary renewable generation technologies (namely hydro, wind, and solar) and enabling the integration of electricity generation from renewable energy sources.
• Attainment of complementarities between the Portuguese and Spanish electricity systems.
• Improving the reliability of the electrical system, especially in the cross-border areas.
• Obtaining economic and environmental benefits from reserve generation capacity, improving stability of the electricity system, and reducing investment aimed at providing electricity generation capacity to supply consumption peaks.

The Project was subject to public consultation conducted by the Portuguese Energy Services Regulatory Entity as part of the procedure for drawing up the Transmission Network Development and Investment Plan.

In the environmental impact assessment (“EIA”) procedure, the Project was already subject to public consultation in a phase prior to the preparation of the environmental conformity report of the execution project, and it is expected that it will again be submitted to public consultation, this time with the execution project, by the EIA authority, as well as within the licencing procedure through the publication of an edict promoted by the licencing entity.

EIA procedure:

- Ponte de Lima - Fontefría Double Line, Portuguese Sections, at 400 kV

• Scope definition detail here
• EIA project here
• Environmental compliance detail os the execution project here

- Ponte de Lima substation at 400/150 kV. EIA project here.

- Covelo and Beariz substations and associated lines at 400 kV (Galicia). EIA project here.

Voltage level: 400 kV 

Line extension: 72 km (PT: Ponte de Lima – border section) + 18 km (ES: border – Fontefría section)