Back to basics as coal power rises

Renewables may be the future, but Spain's energy output continues to depend heavily on traditional sources, says the country's national grid. The report for 2001 by REE, the operator of the Spanish electrical grid, says that the largest single contribution to the power supply, 21 percent of the 255,179 gigawatt-hours (GWh) produced last year, came from nuclear-power stations. Coal-fired plants made up 15 percent of output, double the previous year's eight percent, contributing to an overall 25-percent increase in CO2 emissions from the electricity sector on the 2010 figure.

The cost is not just environmental, but economic, as the increase in greenhouse gases will have to be traded on the international emissions markets.

The main reason for the use of coal and nuclear power last year was the decline in hydraulic production, which fell from 16 percent to 11 percent of electricity generation. At the same time, and as environmental organizations have pointed out, the government increased subsidies to the coal industry. Although Spanish coal is of poor quality and heavily polluting, the previous Socialist government of ex-Prime Minister Zapatero opted to keep mines open in areas with few other economic opportunities.

The contribution of Spain's much-vaunted renewables sector ? wind, hydraulic, geothermal and solar ? to the grid declined last year, falling from a combined 36 percent to 33 percent.

The REE's report highlights the difficulties of tapping the full potential of renewables. The nub of the problem is that these sources rely on variables such as rainfall, sunshine and wind, while the output of fossil-powered plants can be boosted simply by increasing supply according to demand. The output of nuclear plants is more difficult to align with demand, given that reactors cannot be turned on and off.

Renewables have the capacity to meet up to 46 percent of demand, but are still underutilized. For example, hydraulic power could make up 19 percent of total output, while wind power, which last year contributed just 16 percent, could contribute 21 percent of supply. Solar-power output increased by 43 percent in 2011 on the previous year, thanks to the introduction of two new thermo-electric plants in Andalusia. Solar is now meeting four percent of total energy needs, with a capacity of five percent.

In 2010, Spain opened the world's largest solar-power station, meaning that it overtook the United States as the biggest generator in the world. The nation's total solar-power production is now equivalent to the output of one nuclear-power station. A world leader in renewable energies, Spain has long been a producer of hydro-electricity (only China and the US have built more dams). It also has a highly developed wind sector, which, like solar power, has received generous government subsidies.

With an average of 340 days of sunshine a year in Spain, solar is more reliable than wind, and can go a long way towards weaning the country off gas-fired and ageing nuclear-power stations. Spain is now the fourth-largest manufacturer of solar-power technology in the world and both solar- and wind-power technology exports have become valuable earners.

Spain's eight nuclear reactors have an installed capacity that makes up eight percent of energy needs, and they are being used intensively, making up 21 percent of supply last year.

Similarly, coal supposedly makes up 12 percent of total installed capacity, but contributes 15 percent to the national grid.