Legislative and economic aspects for the inclusion of energy reserve by a superconducting magnetic energy storage: Application to the case of the Spanish electrical system

With the encouragement from renewable energies, elements of the electrical system are magnified which make possible a suitable connection to the electrical network. Among others, energy storage systems (ESSs) are emphasized because of their impact. This article discusses two essential aspects to take into account for an ESS, that is the regulatory framework and the economic aspect. In particular, it focuses on superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) in the Spanish electrical system. An analysis is performed on the legislation and regulations that apply to energy storage systems, which may affect in a direct or indirect manner its inclusion. This is accompanied by an analysis of the legislation in different countries to assess the situation in Spain in this regard, by comparison. Another point to take into consideration, which is crucial for the correct development and inclusion of this type of elements, is the economic viability-showing the costs of manufacturing and maintenance of these systems. Although it is necessary to keep investigating to lower the costs, economic benefits are appreciated, among other things, owing to the increase of the reliability of the electrical network. This increase of the reliability is resultant from a decrease of the cuts of service and the improvement of the quality of the energy.