The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) of Spain has released approval for the environmental impact statement (EIS) of the proposed Spain-North Portugal interconnection project.
The transmission interconnection project seeks to increase the exchange of capacity between the two countries by about 1,000 MW. The project is expected to require about EUR55 million (US$57.83 million) according to the Spanish grid operator Red Electrica de Espana (REE).
The European Union (EU) has identified the Spain-North Portugal interconnector as a project of common interest (PCI) and has been included in the Spanish government's recently approved 2021-2026 development plan. REE will construct two new substations in the provinces of Ourense and Pontevedra and a connection leading up to the Spain-Portugal border. The line will proceed across the district of Viana do Castelo in Portugal.
