Transmission

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Visit our Red Eléctrica line and substation maintenance works.

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. Red Eléctrica owns 99% of the high voltage transmission grid and is therefore the only company specialised in power transmission in Spain.

Red Eléctrica's peninsular transmission grid is composed of more than 34,300 kilometres of high voltage electrical lines and more than 3,100 substations positions, and has more than 62,000 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. The remaing 1%, currently held by the power companies, will have to be purchased by Red Eléctrica in accordance with what is set forth in the 17/2007 Act within a maximum three year term as of its approval.

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.

Red Eléctrica does not own the transmission grids of the insular and extrapeninsular systems but, as the system operator, it plans the development of the grid, manages the grid and guarantees access to the grid by all agents on the basis of transparency and equal conditions.

Development of transmission grid
Km de circuit	2004⁽¹⁾	2005⁽¹⁾	2006	2007	2008
⁽¹⁾ 2004 and 2005 data reflect asset acquisition by Red Eléctrica from other companies.
400 kV	16,548	16,808	17,004	17,134	17,686
220 kV and lower	11,461	16,288	16,498	16,535	16,636
Total	28,009	33,096	33,502	33,669	34,322

Development of the circuit bays at the substations
Number busbar connections	2004⁽¹⁾	2005⁽¹⁾	2006	2007	2008
⁽¹⁾ 2004 and 2005 data reflect asset acquisition by Red Eléctrica from other companies.
400 kV	740	877	950	1,004	1,055
220 kV and lower	1,188	1,865	1,966	2,039	2,108
Total	1,928	2,741	2,915	3,042	3,162

Transformer capacity
Power (MVA)	2004⁽¹⁾	2005⁽¹⁾	2006	2007	2008
⁽¹⁾ 2004 and 2005 data reflect asset acquisition by Red Eléctrica from other companies.
Total	37,216	54,272	56,072	58,522	62,122