The European Commission welcomes the inauguration of the electricity interconnection between Spain and Portugal. The commissioning of this new new infrastructure project between northern Portugal and Galicia in North-West Spain marks a key energy milestone. The project increases cross-border electricity capacity by 1,000 MW, reaching 4 200 MW from Spain to Portugal and 3,500 MW from Portugal to Spain.
The interconnection represents an important reinforcement of both systems, boosting efficiency and facilitating the integration of more renewables – estimated to be an additional 281 GWh per year, with the consequent reduction of CO₂ emissions by 113,000 tons per year. Delivered by the transmission system operators (TSO) of Spain Red Eléctrica and Portugal REN, this project will support energy independence in both countries, while contributing to the completion of the Energy Union. This milestone underscores the importance of coordinated EU action, notably through the High-Level Group for Interconnections in South-West Europe (HLG-SWE) and adds a further elements towards achieving the EU’s 15% electricity interconnection target by 2030.
Energy and Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen (pictured) said
“I very much welcome the inauguration of this key energy link between Spain and Portugal. Cross-border electricity interconnectors are key to integrate more renewables in our system and therefore lower energy prices. A stronger European Union must be based on a strong internal electricity market.”
Cross-border interconnections are essential to enhance the resilience of the electricity system, improve competitiveness by bringing down electricity prices and enable the large-scale integration of renewable energy across member states. The project has been supported by the European Commission through its inclusion in the EU list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI) and in the framework of the High-Level Group on Interconnections in South-West Europe.
