Red Eléctrica transmissions high voltage power. To do so, it manages the electrical infrastructures that make up the transmission grid and connect the generation plants to the points where the power is distributed to consumers.
Red Eléctrica is the manager of the transmission grid and, as such, acts as the sole transmissioner on an exclusive basis. In 2010, Red Eléctrica has carried out, in compliance with Law 17/2007, the acquisition of the extrapeninsular assets (Balearic and Canary Islands), as well as those transmission assets on the peninsula that were property of the electric utility companies. This supposes the definitive consolidation of its position as sole transmissioner and electricity system operator.
Red Eléctrica's peninsular transmission grid is composed of more than 38,000 kilometres of high voltage electrical lines and more than 4,500 substations positions, and has more than 72,000 MVA of transformation capacity. These assets make up a safe and reliable meshed grid that offers the highest service quality rates to the electrical system.
As the manager of the transmission grid, Red Eléctrica is responsible for developing and enlarging the grid, for maintaining it on a uniform and consistent basis to provide the required availability and reliability, for managing the transmission of electricity between external systems and the peninsula and for guaranteeing third party access to the transmission grid under equal conditions.
| Km de circuit | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 kV | 17,005 | 17,134 | 17,686 | 17,977 | 18,764 |
| 220 kV | 16,420 | 16,457 | 16,558 | 16,698 | 17,352 |
| 150-132 kV | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 227 |
| 150-132 kV | 53 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 2,050 |
| Total | 33,499 | 33,666 | 34,319 | 34,750 | 38,393 |
| Number busbar connections | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 kV | 950 | 1,004 | 1,055 | 1,114 | 1,185 |
| 220 kV | 1,961 | 2,034 | 2,103 | 2,267 | 2,657 |
| 150-132 kV | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 32 |
| <132 kV | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 698 |
| Total | 2,915 | 3,042 | 3,162 | 3,385 | 4,572 |
| Power (MVA) | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 56,009 | 58,459 | 62,859 | 66,259 | 72,432 |