22 Jan Unblocking and outreach, the keys to a sustainable future

Renewable energies constitute an essential sector for the development and growth of the Andalusian economy and play a fundamental role in the energy transition of our region. Andalusia has more than 10,000 MW of installed capacity and is processing approximately 1,200 projects, for a total capacity of 20,000 MW, according to data from the Regional Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines.

This significant growth of renewables in Andalusia has been favoured by certain legislative measures and greater coordination between the different regional ministries involved in the authorisation procedure. However, there are still obstacles that hinder the development of projects, mainly those that affect the authorisation periods for installations and those related to urban planning and environmental aspects.

Project authorisation periods tend to be excessively long, generally between three and four years from the time the application is submitted by the developer. There are two factors that influence this length of time: The lack of material and human resources in the various bodies involved in the processing and the complexity of some procedures and the excessively long timeframes involved. More specialised staff, the simplification of procedures and the reduction of deadlines would help to speed up the procedure.

In urban planning and environmental matters, the regulations are not adapted, in certain aspects, to technical advances in the sector, and there are legal vacuums that generate difficulties of interpretation, aggravated by the lack of uniform criteria in the application of the rules.

Although the consideration of renewables as an ordinary use of rural land, and the replacement of certain types of urban planning licences by the responsible declaration, are measures included in Law 7/2021 of 1 December (LISTA), which have represented an important step forward, the interpretation of the LISTA by local councils does not, on occasions, respond to uniform criteria, affecting the legal security of developers.

With regard to the impact of renewable energies on the territory, we are witnessing a social protest that often responds to a lack of adequate knowledge and information, and greater outreach work is needed to ensure that the public perceives the advantages of renewable energies for the social and economic development of the territory.

In environmental matters, in addition to the need to establish uniform criteria, the undisputed contribution of renewables to reducing the effects of climate change, as well as the establishment of increasingly sophisticated and technically advanced preventive and compensatory measures, should be aspects to be taken into account when evaluating projects and allowing their implementation.

Finally, regulatory measures must be adopted to facilitate the development in Andalusia of technologies that, together with renewables, will play a leading role in the energy transition, such as green hydrogen and storage batteries (hybridised with renewables and “stand alone”).

In conclusion, Claner believes that the energy transition in Andalusia towards a system based on renewable sources, green hydrogen and storage, requires the elimination of administrative obstacles, the application of uniform criteria and greater outreach and information to the public, both by developers and public authorities.

You can access the original article published in the magazine Andalucía Económica through this link.

—

About CLANER

The Andalusian Renewable Energy Association (CLANER), with more than 20 years of experience, is a group of companies, official bodies, technology and research centres, universities and public foundations, among other agents.

Its aims include the representation and defence of the Andalusian renewable energy and energy efficiency sector, as well as the promotion and encouragement of research, technological development and innovation of products, processes and services associated with this field through collaboration and cooperation between the members of the cluster in order to strengthen the competitiveness of Andalusian companies in the clean energy sector.

The members of the association, which currently has more than 140 member companies and represents more than 90 percent of the Andalusian renewable energy sector, include Andalucía Tech, the Centre for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research (CIEMAT), part of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, the University of Jaén, the Pablo Olavide University in Seville, the Descubre Foundation, municipal and provincial energy agencies, as well as the main renewable energy companies in Spain and the electricity company Endesa Distribución.

—

For further information or to arrange interviews with CLANER management, please contact the Communications Department on 676 46 57 00; 951 910 401 or 951 910 401, or  comunicacion@claner.es