Spain-France link for excess renewable energy receives record EU funding

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

The European Union will provide €578 million to build a major power link running through the Bay of Biscay to export Spain’s excess renewable energy to France, in a move that has been welcomed by France, Spain and Portugal.

This would be the EU’s largest ever grant for energy infrastructure, contributing to the €1.75 billion project. The rest of the cost will be split between France and Spain.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Interconnection capacity between the two countries would be increased from 2.8GW to 5GW under the plans.

The link increases connectivity across the Iberian Peninsula and the Spanish energy ministry said it would end the peninsula's isolation from the rest of the European energy market.

The interconnection will run for 370 km between Gatica, in the Basque Country, and Cubnezais, in Aquitaine, with 110 km in Spain and 260 km in France, of which 90 km are on land and 280 km are submarine. 

The cable will come into operation in the year 2025.

“This project demonstrates our common desire to work towards the development of concrete achievements for the benefit of all citizens of the European Union. These interconnections are an essential step towards the constitution of a real Energy Union, “said France’s minister of the ecological and solidarity transition, Nicolas Hulot.  

A French government release also claimed that the link would also be used to export excess renewable power from Portugal into the wider European market.

25 November 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Large Scale Solar Central and Eastern Europe continues to be the place to leverage a network that has been made over more than 10 years, to build critical partnerships to develop solar projects throughout the region.
2 December 2025
Málaga, Spain
Understanding PV module supply to the European market in 2026. PV ModuleTech Europe 2025 is a two-day conference that tackles these challenges directly, with an agenda that addresses all aspects of module supplier selection; product availability, technology offerings, traceability of supply-chain, factory auditing, module testing and reliability, and company bankability.

Read Next

September 3, 2025
Chinese solar manufacturer Trinasolar has signed a patent licence agreement with French module manufacturing startup Holosolis to use its TOPCon solar cell technology.
September 2, 2025
Q Energy has reached financial close for Taurus B, a portfolio of seven solar PV plants in Spain with a combined capacity of 251.71MWp.
September 2, 2025
Iberdrola has commissioned the 316MW Ciudad Rodrigo solar project in Salamanca, Spain, the company’s second solar plant in the province.
September 1, 2025
Solar Organic Centro España is planning to build a 10GW solar module and battery manufacturing facility in the Spanish autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha.
August 20, 2025
New South Wales, Australia's most coal-dependent state, will transition from 40% to 90% renewable energy by 2035, according to grid operator Transgrid's latest planning report.
Premium
August 18, 2025
Jonathan Touriño Jacobo explores evidence of systemic problems in the Iberian grid and some of the solutions following the blackout.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines