France, Spain and Portugal will meet in October to discuss ways to accelerate electricity interconnector projects. The initiative follows a massive power outage in April that highlighted the lack of connections between the Iberian Peninsula and the wider European grid.
Franco-Iberian coordination set to resume
Portuguese Minister of Energy Maria da Graça Carvalho stated that France requested a tripartite meeting after exchanges between the three countries and the European Commission. She noted that the talks are scheduled to begin in early October.
The April blackout, described as unprecedented by grid operators, revealed the limits of a poorly integrated Iberian power system. According to several industry experts, the impact of the incident could have been mitigated by stronger electricity exchange capacity with other EU member states.
Bay of Biscay project faces regulatory conditions
The Bay of Biscay subsea interconnector project between France and Spain is backed by €1.6bn ($1.88bn) in financing from the European Investment Bank. However, an environmental assessment remains pending, which is a required step before construction can proceed.
Meanwhile, works to reinforce an existing land-based interconnector between France and Spain are expected to be completed this year. Two other projects crossing the Pyrenees are under review, but according to French grid operator Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTE), most of the benefits from these lines would be located outside France.
EU targets still far off
As of now, Portugal and Spain have only 3% of their electricity capacity connected to neighbouring countries, well below the European Union’s 15% target for 2030. This structural gap limits electricity trade flows, increases grid imbalance risks and restricts access to a more competitive market.
The Spanish and French energy ministries declined to comment on the ongoing talks. The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) is expected to release part of its technical analysis on the causes of the April blackout later this week.
