Large-scale penetration of renewables in the Iberian power system: Evolution, challenges and flexibility options

• Published in: Renewable & sustainable energy reviews Vol. 204; p. 114794
• Main Authors: Bento, Pedro M.R., Mariano, Silvio J.P.S., Pombo, Jose A.N., Calado, Maria R.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2024
• Subjects: Decarbonization challenges; Energy generation; Energy policy; Energy transition; Future power system; Large-scale integration of renewables; Power system flexibility; Energy transition; Large-scale integration of renewables; Decarbonization challenges; Energy generation; Energy policy; Future power system; Power system flexibility
• ISSN: 1364-0321
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2024.114794

The seriousness of the global climate crisis makes the path towards the decarbonization of societies irreversible. In response to this call for action, the entire power system community has been actively researching, proposing, and implementing measures to minimize the share of emissions. Instigated by ambitious (EU) legislation, increasing public awareness of the problem, and the competitiveness of PV and onshore wind technologies, the past two decades have seen several EU countries paving the way towards large-scale penetration of renewables, such as Portugal and Spain, where the share of renewables has grown by leaps and bounds. As this process has unfolded, the large scope of challenges posed by integrating these two technologies requires further debate. These include technical and conceptual aspects of the infrastructure, such as an increasing number of grid connections, lack of inertia, power balancing issues derived from the stochastic nature of renewables, and issues of market participation and fairness. Notwithstanding, this has also “opened the door” to a broad range of solutions that can effectively tackle the lack of system flexibility. Among them, the Iberian Peninsula is a privileged spot to invest in promising renewable energy sources with attractive energy densities to complement the existing portfolio, namely ocean, offshore wind, and hydrogen technologies. Hence, this study analyzes and discusses this transformative process, promotes a better understanding of its challenges, and provides guided policy suggestions to move forward while preserving the security and resilience of the system. [Display omitted] •Characterization of the Iberian generation “green” transformation.•Underlining the role of dispatchable generation capacity.•Comparison of trends and policies between the two Iberian countries.•State-of-the-art review of the different system flexibility options.•Future policy path suggestions: The case for a gradual and system wide approach.