Spain France Interconnection

1
Spain France Interconnection

• CEER Workshop
• J VERSEILLE
• Director System Development
• 13th February 2007

2
Expected Benefits of the Interconnection for the
French system

• Increased security of supply
• main factor of risk in France
• cold periods in Winter ( 1800 MW/C) due to
  anticyclonic conditions
• often affect at the same time the Northern part
  of Europe
• Spain can experience milder conditions at this
  time
• Support from the spanish system to the french
  system
• expected in such situations (ex winter 2005)
• Market opportunities
• High sensitivity of Spanish system to climatic
  conditions
• Large variations of hydro generation on a yearly
  or seasonal basis
• Large variations of wind generation on a weekly
  daily basis
• High level of consumption in Summer in Spain
• Market opportunities for increased imports
  /exports

3
Administrative procedures in France

• Project endorsed by the Ministry
• Public debate (expression of public opinion on
  the project)
• 18 24 Months
• Determination of general route
• 30 42 months
• Prior consultation
• identifying study area
• progressively define less impact area
• produce the impact study
• Declaration of public interest (DUP)
• Consultation of mayors and departments
• Public inquiry
• gt Obtaining DUP
• Determining the precise line route in details
• 12 18 months
• Approval of technical drawing
• Planning permission
• Amicable agreements and easements
• Construction work

4
France Spain Interconnection present
situation

• Public debate held in march june 2003
• local opposition against the proposed route
• Ministry asked to propose new options
• Three main options to cross the border prepared
  by RTE / REE
• compromise to be found between
• environmental aspects
• efficiency for the power system
• local acceptance
• No decision taken yet

5
Origin of the difficulties

• History of the project a previous project in
  another area stopped in 1996
• Crossing the border needs a high level political
  agreement
• Agreement between national and regional/local
  authorities is a prerequisite
• Acceptable compromises on one side of the border
  can be contradictory with the objectives of the
  other party
• At the local level no clear and obvious
  advantages
• Rejection of the usefulness of the line
• Ideologic opposition
• Landscape preservation
• Nimby or Banana
• Interconnection two countries, twice as many
  stakeholders with various objectives