Spain and Andorra agree to start work on the new international electricity interconnection

Spain and Andorra, deepening their friendly and good neighbourly relations, have agreed to begin work on the establishment of the new international electricity interconnection envisaged in the 2021-2026 Electricity Transmission Grid Planning.

This agreement is the result of the meeting held in Madrid between the teams in charge of both countries, led by the Third Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, and her counterpart Sílvia Calvó Armengol, Minister for the Environment, Agriculture and Sustainability of the Government of Andorra, with the aim of making progress in the development of common energy infrastructures.

The aims of electricity grid planning include the reinforcement of existing infrastructures and the promotion of new facilities that allow progress to be made towards the ecological transition, with the guarantee of supply, environmental protection and the economic efficiency of the electricity system as top priorities.

The new interconnection, which will contribute to guaranteeing the electricity supply of the Principality of Andorra, was already included among the post-2020 actions in the previous 2015-2020 transmission grid planning, and is now included in the current planning at the request of the Andorran state electricity company.

The main objective of the project is to increase the exchange capacity between the electricity systems of the two countries so that the Spanish electricity system can supply the growing demand expected in the Andorran system, given that the repowering of the current axis would not achieve sufficient capacity to meet the demand expected in the principality.

In light of Andorra's heavy dependence on external electricity, the project will allow the country to continue to promote the renewable energy infrastructures needed to reduce its energy dependence, thus contributing to achieving its goal of zero carbon by 2050. Andorra will also benefit in terms of security and quality of supply, according to the results of the network analyses carried out for the preparation of the plan and the report on it, issued by the National Commission for Markets and Competition.

The commissioning of the interconnection, which already has a favourable Environmental Impact Statement and Prior Administrative Authorisation, will entail the deployment of a new 15.5 km-long double 220 kV circuit from Adrall to the border with Andorra, the enlargement of the Adrall substation and the adaptation of various lines in the town, as well as the subsequent dismantling of the current 110 kV line.

This work will be coordinated by the respective transmission operators of the electricity grid, Red Eléctrica de España (REE) and Fuerzas Eléctricas de Andorra (FEDA), guaranteeing at all times the maximum protection of the environment and biodiversity in the areas of action.

Non official translation