Almeria is perfect for photovoltaic energy. Its arid landscape and unlimited sunlight make it an ideal location for setting up this type of power plant. However, it has a problem that has nothing to do with the panels and that is that there is no way to drain all the electricity it generates. Therefore, energy here, far from being a blessing, is almost a headache.
Almeria has the solar resources that any photovoltaic developer would want. The province receives large amounts of sunlight each year and is particularly well positioned for photovoltaic production. As of June 30, 2026, according to the Diario de Almeria, the province has 1,742.9 MW of installed renewable energy. Of that amount, 1,220 MW corresponds to photovoltaic power, which has multiplied its installed power in just five years precisely because of its suitability. In 2021, there were 285.9 MW of photovoltaics, according to data collected by Diario de Almeria from the Junta de Andalucia.
In addition, there are currently important projects in various stages of processing, such as, for example, 25 photovoltaic plants that will add another 842 MW in addition to wind farms and independent storage batteries.
Installed power is not power that can be injected into the network. Electrical systems do not have unlimited capacity. To determine whether a facility can be connected, Red Eléctrica conducts studies to determine, among other aspects, the security and behavior of the network. The result of this investigation establishes the available access capacity at each node.
Additionally, there is another key concept: evacuation. The generated electricity must be able to circulate through the system’s lines and substations without exceeding existing technical restrictions, but this does not mean that a plant is always guaranteed to empty all its production. Conversely, there may be a situation where additional restrictions exist in real time. That is, a solar park can have 100 MW of panels, but that doesn’t mean the grid has to have a 100 MW gap to get them.
What is the problem? Almería may be becoming a solar powerhouse, but (pun intended) all that glitters is not gold and its solar capacity is not growing at the same rate as other Andalusian provinces such as Jaén or Seville. As explained by Guillermo Casquet, representative of the junta’s economy, finance and European funds, in Diário de Almeria, this is due to the available transfer capacity.
During hours when there are more solar resources, Almería Parks produces more electricity than the grid can absorb. To understand this, we must imagine high-voltage networks as a network of roads through which electricity is transported in the electrical system: if these networks are limited, it seems that the road has fewer lanes than necessary for that amount of traffic. To avoid this congestion, the system operator, as explained by La Voz de Almeria, is forced to reduce the plant’s production (known as deduction) to guarantee stability of supply and not compromise its security.
Tabernas is one of the most extreme examples. According to El Periódico de la Energía, which cites data from Optimize Energy, the Almeria city of Tabernas would be a good example of this phenomenon. For this medium, the development of photovoltaic solar energy in this area has been an “absolute disaster”, as it loses almost half of the energy generated. With a 400 kV substation that serves several photovoltaic plants, “the physics don’t yield much,” and according to the data, one per cent. deduction More than 41% on that node alone.
Therefore, network planning will be essential for the coming years. However, Guillermo Casquet, in his statement to the Diario de Almeria, called the current plans “inadequate” and regretted that the province is not receiving investments that comply with its potential as a renewable energy.
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