Gas prices have moderated with respect to the levels reached a year ago, but are still above their historical average, affecting electricity prices and particularly affecting the activity of the electro-intensive industry. In addition, international uncertainty continues, limiting the visibility of companies' activity in the coming months.
For all these reasons, the Council of Ministers approved on Tuesday to extend until December 31 the exemption on 80% of the amount of electricity tolls from which the electro-intensive companies benefit from January 1, 2022. The measure is accompanied by a provision enabling the transfer to 2023 of the 2022 electricity system surplus, which will allow its financing without entailing a budgetary cost or increasing consumers' bills.
What are the requirements to become an electricity intensive consumer?
- Count one of the CNAE indicated in the Royal Decree, which can be consulted at: https://www.boe.es/eli/es/rd/2023/06/13/444.
- To have had a consumption of more than 1GWh during at least two of the three previous years.
- In addition, having consumed 46% of the energy in the off-peak tariff period at least two of the previous three years. It will not be required to have consumed at least 46% of the energy in the hours corresponding to the off-peak period during the validity of the exceptional cost adjustment mechanism of production costs for the reduction of the price of electricity in the wholesale market provided for in Royal Decree-Law 10/2022.
- Compliance with the ratio of more than 0.25 kWh/€ between electricity consumption and gross value added of the company (at least 2 years out of the previous 3 years)
What are the obligations of electro-intensive consumers in order to benefit from aid?
- Electro-intensive consumers who avail themselves of any of the mechanisms regulated in royal decree and to which Royal Decree 56/2016 is applicable are obliged to:
a) Implement, at least every four years and in each of the facilities certified as electro-intensive consumers, the actions for the improvement of energy performance identified in the last energy audit of the Energy Management system referred to in the previous section, provided that they are considered economically profitable and that the investment costs are proportionate.
b) Invest at least 50 percent of the assistance received in projects that result in substantial reductions in the installation's greenhouse gas emissions.
c) Reduce the carbon footprint of its electricity consumption, so that at least 30 percent of the facility's electricity consumption comes from renewable energy sources,
excluding the national mix. Compliance with this obligation will be justified by means of direct or indirect term instruments, by means of guarantees of origin, by investments in
renewable energy self-consumption facilities or by means of other similar investments or actions.
- During at least the three years following receipt of the aid or, as the case may be, use of the mechanism established for the electro-intensive consumer and before April 30 of each year, said consumer must submit a detailed report to the Directorate General of Energy Policy and Mines and to the competent energy body of the autonomous community in which the installation is located on the energy efficiency measures implemented, detailing electricity consumption and the different types of fuels, as well as the relevant production and the ratios of electricity and heat consumption per unit of product.
- In relation to the PPA (Power Purchase Agreement), that part of the energy of renewable origin that, in accordance with the provisions of Royal Decree 244/2019, of April 5, can be qualified as self-consumed hourly energy, may be taken into account. This condition must be accredited within three years.
The deadline for submitting applications and the corresponding documentation will be 20 working days from the day following the publication of the extract of the call for applications in the Official State Gazette.
Do you have any doubts about the status of elecrointensive consumers?
If you have any doubts about whether your company can benefit from the grants as well as the necessary procedures, please contact us at info@grupotrebolenergia.es.
We will be happy to answer your questions.