In a context marked by the need to consolidate the energy transition and strengthen supply security, TotalEnergies considers that the first capacity auction planned in Spain for this year will be a turning point for the sector. This was stated by Jordi Torres, CEO Renewables Spain of the company, during the main panel at the Future Energy Summit (FES) Iberia 2025, which brought together over 400 industry executives in Madrid.
The French firm is committed to a multi-energy strategy that combines large-scale renewables, gas-based backup, and storage solutions, enabling progress in decarbonisation while responding flexibly to increasing market volatility.
“We expect to see a capacity auction before the end of the year, and we believe it will play a very relevant role in consolidating this new energy model,” stated Torres, underlining the importance of complementary mechanisms that reinforce system reliability.
According to the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), the operation of the Spanish capacity market is progressing with three auction modalities: main, transitional, and adjustment.
The first transitional auctions are scheduled for 2025, with the mechanism expected to be fully operational by 2026. Only low-emission technologies and storage will be eligible to participate, and remuneration will be for availability, not for energy produced.
At the same time, the “anti-blackout” Royal Decree approved this week strengthens this framework, incorporating capacity payments and storage incentives to ensure supply security. This consolidates a favourable regulatory environment that supports the expectations expressed by TotalEnergies and other sector stakeholders.
The Future of TotalEnergies
The executive referred to the lessons learned from the 28 April blackout, which partially affected the Spanish electricity system. For Torres, the incident highlighted both the system’s recovery capacity and the need to strengthen grids and infrastructures.
In this regard, he emphasised that the energy transition cannot rely exclusively on renewable generation but requires a systemic architecture that includes backup and storage solutions capable of responding to critical scenarios.
In his view, comprehensive planning must also include solid investments in infrastructure and grids to support renewable deployment.
TotalEnergies’ strategic plan to 2050 aims to position the company among the world’s top five energy producers, with net zero emissions.
Within this framework, Spain is identified as a priority market, where the company already has 3 GW in advanced stages of development.
The projects are spread across various regions —Madrid, Andalusia, Murcia— and reflect a progressive, regionalised deployment strategy.
One of the most recent milestones was the commissioning of the Guillena solar park in Seville, with a capacity of 273 megawatts, generating over 500 GWh per year, enough to supply 150,000 households.
These types of initiatives not only aim to consolidate the firm’s renewable portfolio but also to strengthen its presence as a comprehensive energy provider. “Spain is definitely a strategic country for TotalEnergies,” the executive emphasised during the event.
The company’s operational model is based on vertical integration, covering everything from project development to commercialisation, including generation, trading, and end-client management.
This structure enables the company to design tailored solutions for both industrial and domestic consumers, integrating renewable energy, storage, e-mobility, and long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs).
“With these two pillars —multi-energy and vertical integration— we achieve not only a comprehensive vision of the system but also strategies tailored to the market’s new needs,” explained Torres, referring to how the company supports the transformation of the European energy model.
In his analysis of the current situation, Torres noted that the line between stand-alone and hybrid projects is becoming increasingly blurred. Instead of differentiating by type, TotalEnergies prioritises initiatives that integrate operational flexibility, which is crucial in a context of unpredictable prices, new regulations, and changing technical requirements.
The executive insisted that market mechanisms must serve to solve concrete problems, such as managing intermittency or dispatch efficiency.
Therefore, the role of storage and regulatory signals —such as the anticipated capacity auction— are, in his view, determining factors for accelerating private investment and enabling the energy transition.
With a robust portfolio, a consolidated multi-energy vision, and a growing presence in Spain, TotalEnergies positions itself as one of the key players in the continent’s energy transformation.
