• “Companies that can decarbonize their production processes through electrification cannot plan or execute investments if they do not have certainty that they will have access to the necessary connection capacities,” Salvador Sedó, Director of Sustainable Development at Foment del Treball.

  • “Available capacity in substations is not a blank check. A significant amount of megawatts does not guarantee that they are sufficient or located where needed for the installation or expansion of a large energy-intensive industry,” Eduardo Álvarez, Professor at the University of Oviedo.

  • “We must anticipate the needs required by the ongoing energy transition, particularly electrification and the implementation of industrial projects with high energy demand,” Juan Manuel Vieites, President of the Confederation of Employers of Galicia (CEG).

October 3, 2025

The publication, two weeks ago, of the first interactive map of substation capacity in Spain, prepared by Foro Industria y Energía (FIE) in collaboration with Opina 360, continues to generate reactions across the country. The study, which analyzed the situation of 6,023 substations, confirmed a highly saturated system, with 82.4% of substations lacking available capacity.

Last week, we opened a dialogue with experts and authorities to analyze the territorial impact of these data. At that time, we gathered insights from Catalonia and the Basque Country, whose expert voices highlighted the critical importance of the electricity grid for sustaining industrial development and advancing the energy transition.

In this second installment, we continue this fundamental dialogue and expand the territorial overview by reflecting new perspectives from Catalonia, Asturias, and Galicia. These regions have different realities but share a common concern: how to ensure that grid saturation does not erode the competitiveness of their industries or limit their ability to attract and consolidate projects at a crucial moment in the energy transition.

Catalonia: Foment del Treball warns that the grid is the “weakest link”

As previously noted, Catalonia is the third region in the country in terms of grid access capacity, with 1,306.3 MW available, behind only Galicia and Andalucía. However, almost all this capacity is concentrated in the province of Barcelona (1,113.9 MW). Of the region’s 378 substations, 300 are saturated, representing 79.3%, slightly below the national average. But the provinces of Girona (85.53%), Lleida (94.29%), and Tarragona (92%) exceed that average, highlighting critical limitations for industrial development.

For Salvador Sedó, Director of Sustainable Development at Foment del Treball Nacional, the map presented by FIE and Opina 360 is an extremely useful tool for analyzing territorial availability of grid connections and planning industrial investments. But his assessment of the diagnosis leaves no room for ambiguity: “The results show us that the electricity distribution and transmission network is the weakest link in the decarbonization process of productive sectors, especially energy-intensive ones, and in the transition to renewable energy.”

Sedó does not limit himself to the diagnosis and calls for action. He argues that Spain needs substantial investment both in improving existing networks and in building new ones. The reason behind this urgency is industrial planning: “Companies that can decarbonize their production processes through the electrification of their energy sources cannot plan or execute investments if they do not have certainty that they will have access to the necessary connection capacities.”

The Foment del Treball director lists several strategic fronts at direct risk if this grid saturation continues: “The emission reduction targets in various industrial sectors, the loss of competitiveness of existing industry, the implementation of renewable energy projects (especially in those regions that are lagging, like Catalunya), and the attraction of new investments in high-energy-demand sectors.”

Asturias: available capacity, but is it enough for large projects?

If the Basque Country represents the extreme of saturation, Asturias presents the opposite case, though not without complexity. Although it is not the region with the most megawatts available in absolute terms, it has the lowest saturation level in the country: just 26.1%. Of the 199 substations analyzed, only 52 are fully saturated. The remaining 147 substations with available capacity total 794.84 MW.

This situation positions Asturias as an apparent exception in the national landscape. But does this mean the region’s energy and industrial future is secured? Eduardo Álvarez, Technical Director of Foro Industria y Energía and Professor at the University of Oviedo, introduces important nuances and calls for caution.

“It is crucial to understand that available capacity in substations is not a blank check. While there is a significant amount of megawatts available, this does not guarantee that they are sufficient or in the right location for the installation or expansion of a large energy-intensive industry. A single large-scale project could require much higher power, forcing energy to be brought in from outside the region or the development of ad hoc infrastructure,” he explains.

Therefore, Asturias’ advantage is real but must be managed with long-term planning. The region has a unique opportunity to attract industrial investments that other saturated territories cannot even consider. However, to realize it, theoretical capacity must translate into effective connection capacity, ensuring that the transmission grid can evacuate that power and that administrative procedures are agile. Otherwise, the risk is to have a “showcase” of MW that, in practice, cannot be used massively and efficiently for large-scale projects.

Abundant capacity, insufficient connection: the Galician dilemma

The study places Galicia as the region with the highest available access capacity, at 1,666.2 MW. However, this positive figure is tempered by 49.22% saturation (126 of 256 substations are saturated) and, above all, by uneven distribution, as much of this capacity is concentrated in the province of Lugo (1,278.71 MW).

Juan Manuel Vieites, President of the Confederation of Employers of Galicia (CEG), frames these data within a long-standing regional demand. Galicia has long requested investments in the electricity grid that address renewable generation needs, incorporate infrastructure for offshore wind, and guarantee sufficient capacity for new industrial projects to establish in the territory.

For the CEG, the key is to seize the moment: “We are at a crucial juncture and hope that Galicia’s present and future needs are addressed in the 2025–2030 energy planning currently under preparation and consultation. We must anticipate the needs required by the ongoing energy transition, particularly electrification and the implementation of industrial projects with high energy demand.”

But Vieites introduces an important caveat that tempers Galicia’s apparent leadership in available capacity. Paradoxically, the province of Lugo, one of the areas with the most aggregated capacity, suffers from a lack of connection infrastructure that significantly limits the installation possibilities for industries or companies. The key, he concludes, “is to ensure agile and orderly access to the grid so that this capacity translates into growth, innovation, and employment for Galicia.”

A chorus of voices calling for planning and investment

The reactions collected from Catalunya, Asturias, and Galicia, together with last week’s assessments from the Basque Country, form a clear consensus: the challenge of the electricity grid is structural and cannot be addressed with partial solutions. Whether from the perspective of extreme strain (Basque Country), relative advantage (Asturias), or opportunity with risks (Galicia and Catalunya), all voices converge on one point: the electricity grid is the main determinant of the country’s energy transition and industrial competitiveness.

The interactive capacity map has put numbers to a problem the industrial sector experiences firsthand, consolidating a concerning diagnosis. According to authorities and experts consulted, the key to reversing the situation lies in a triple demand: anticipation, planning, and execution.

As has been observed week after week, without a robust and well-dimensioned grid, Spain will not be able to seize the opportunities offered by the energy transition or maintain its industrial strength. Now, the ball is in the planners’ and regulators’ court: to turn a worrying diagnosis into a real opportunity for orderly, sustainable, and competitive growth.