This funding comes from the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), via the Institute for Diversification and Energy Saving (IDEA), as part of the second call for the Heat and Cold Networks Incentive Program (RENORED 2). The full resolution is publicly available.
In this call, €43 million from NextGenerationEU funds, under the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan (PRTR), have been allocated. The aim is to promote 36 projects for renewable-powered heat and cold networks, seeking to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in the residential sector and public infrastructure.
The selected projects, comprising 17 new networks and 19 expansions of existing ones, represent a total investment of €210 million. They are expected to achieve a thermal capacity of 252.1 MW and an annual saving of 12,600 tons of CO2, contributing to the country's decarbonization.
While biomass is the predominant source in most selected projects (24 initiatives), the call also supports networks powered by geothermal (6), aerothermal (3), hydrothermal (2), and solar energy (1), covering various renewable sources.
Selection was based on competitive bidding, prioritizing initiatives from SMEs, those located in demographic challenge and just transition zones, and projects supplying heat to vulnerable neighborhoods. Beneficiaries will receive the grants definitively after project execution and investment certification, with the possibility of advances up to 80%.
This initiative is part of component 31 of the PRTR, titled 'REPowerEU Chapter', and aims to meet the energy efficiency and renewable energy usage objectives of the National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC). The goal is to gradually reduce the energy demand of public buildings and infrastructure, decrease fossil fuel dependency, introduce high-efficiency technologies, and promote renewable energy and self-consumption.
