The scheme is expected to support the addition of nearly 1 GW of new capacity with storage capacity of around 7 GWh, the ministry announced on 2 January. Applications will be accepted from 4 February to 3 March.
It follows the first call under the BORALMAC programme in September 2023, which awarded €100 million in support for four projects totaling over 2 GW of new pumped storage capacity. Under the new call, grants will be made available to support greenfield pumped-storage plants as well as brownfield development such as the expansion or modification of existing facilities, through the addition of new pumping and turbining capacity, construction, expansion or adaptation of reservoirs to generate greater storage capacity, or the conversion of conventional hydro plants into pumped-storage facilities. Projects involving hybridization of pumped-storage capacity with other technologies will also be accepted on condition they provide other value-added services to the grid and have the same connection point.
Projects must have a minimum generation capacity of 25 MW and storage capacity equal to or greater than four hours. Grant funding will be capped at €50 million ($58.5 million) per project or beneficiary entity, with all supported schemes required to be operational by 30 June 2035. IDAE may advance part or all of the approved aid, subject to guarantees, to support project financing.
The programme will be managed by the ministry’s implementing agency, Instituto para la Diversificación y Ahorro de la Energía (IDAE, Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving), with projects to be selected through a competitive bidding process. In addition to economic viability, projects will be evaluated on technical potential to integrate renewable energy and contribute to grid stability and secure system operation, employment creation, regional and demographic benefits, environmental impacts, gender equality, participation of small and medium enterprises, and the level of technological innovation.
According to the ministry, the aid aims to strengthen Spain’s electricity system, support the objectives of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) and the Energy Storage Strategy, and accelerate renewable integration by providing grid stability and flexibility. Spain’s updated PNIEC for the period 2023-2030 targets 22.5 GW of daily, weekly and seasonal storage by the end of the decade. Funding for the programme is being provided by the EU through the Recovery Plan for Europe, NextGenerationEU.
The call for proposals can be viewed by clicking here.
Applications can be submitted via the procurement portal of the IDEA at: https://sede.idae.gob.es
