Europe | January 23, 2026
Electricity grid loses 2.8 GW capacity in two months, leaving 5,235 substations fully saturated and limiting new industrial connections.
Image for illustrative purposes
Spain: Spain’s electricity network is under mounting pressure after losing nearly 2.8 GW of available capacity in just two months, pushing overall substation saturation to 85.7 %, according to a recent study by the Industry and Energy Forum and Opina 360.
The analysis, using data as of 1 December 2025, covered 6,108 substations operated by Spain’s 29 main electricity distributors, representing around 97 % of the national supply. It found that the number of fully saturated substations rose from 82.4 % in October to 85.7 %, leaving 5,235 facilities with no spare capacity.
Available power fell from just over 10 GW to 7,363 MW, highlighting how rising demand from electrification and new industrial projects is outpacing grid upgrades. Northern and central regions are most affected, with the Basque Country at 99.8 % saturation and Navarre and La Rioja at 99.2 %. Eight provinces – Almería, Málaga, Zaragoza, Albacete, Guadalajara, Salamanca, Álava and Biscay – are fully saturated, effectively blocking new grid connections.
Only six provinces retain more than 50 % spare capacity: the Balearic Islands, Ourense, Pontevedra, Las Palmas, Asturias and Lugo, though some of this capacity is limited by technical constraints or pending transmission improvements. In absolute terms, Galicia has the most available capacity at 1,720.8 MW, followed by Catalonia with 1,024 MW and Andalusia with 870.5 MW.
The report warns of growing mismatches between available capacity and industrial demand, particularly in urban areas such as Barcelona. Overall, nearly all regions experienced a net loss of substation capacity, signalling increasing strain on Spain’s electricity grid.
Source: PV Magazine
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