Battery storage firm Field expands into Spain

• Field expands further into Europe with new Spanish office led by General Manager, Toni Martinez
• A leading renewable infrastructure business, Field is actively working to develop hundreds of megawatts of large-scale battery projects across Spain by 2030
• Battery storage is vital to meet Spain’s target to cover 81% of electricity needs with renewable energy by the end of the decade

Field today announces its expansion into Spain, spearheaded by General Manager, Toni Martinez, as it works to roll out hundreds of megawatts of storage in the country by 2030.

Founded in 2021, Field develops, builds and operates the renewable energy infrastructure needed in the UK and Europe to reach net zero. Following its launch in Italy last year, the business will deploy battery storage in Spain, driving progress towards the country’s 2030 clean power target and deployment goals for renewable energy. Batteries create a reliable, greener and more flexible grid which will improve energy security and enable the transition to net zero.

With ambitious targets, Spain is rapidly deploying renewable energy to decarbonise its grid and expects to increase clean energy generation to 81% by 2030. Last year, the Spanish Government’s draft National Energy and Climate Plan forecasted the deployment of 76 GW of utility-scale solar capacity, 62 GW of wind project, and 22 GW of energy storage by the end of the decade.

However, as renewable power generation rises in Spain, electricity prices are increasingly falling to zero or negative values. 2024 alone has seen over 500 (573) hours where electricity was traded at zero or negative values - with the month of April seeing the highest number of hours so far this year (263), [1] according to Field’s analysis. Excessive negative pricing increases uncertainty for investors and often requires bill payer-funded subsidies to offer top-up payments to generators when the price of electricity falls below a set threshold.

More battery storage capacity on the grid can reduce excessive negative pricing by storing or discharging cheaper, cleaner power when supplies are high or low, helping to narrow price fluctuations and offering more certainty to developers. Located in areas with a high concentration of demand and renewable energy supplies – leading causes of grid saturation – Field’s infrastructure will help national grid operator, Red Eléctrica, balance supply and demand.

General Manager, Toni Martinez, was appointed in 2023 to oversee Field’s Spanish operations and establish a team from the newly launched Barcelona office. An infrastructure expert, he was previously Managing Director at project developer, GIA Power, and Head of Finance for Europe and Latin America at Trina Solar, where he played a pivotal role in expanding the company's market presence.

Field’s expansion into Spain comes as the business grows its operations – with >4.5 GWh of projects currently in advanced stages of development across Europe.

Toni Martinez, General Manager, Field Spain: “We’re seeing an increase in renewable energy generation in Spain as we make significant strides to deliver our decarbonisation strategy. However, the frequent occurrence of negative prices in the Spanish electricity market indicates an excess of renewable generation and underscores the need for storage to balance supply and demand, helping manage intermittency and ensure grid stability.

“I’m excited to bring my expertise to Field and to be part of a business that is passionate about achieving the energy transition - of which battery storage is a vital element. I look forward to growing the team here and developing, building and operating the infrastructure Spain needs to achieve net zero.”

Amit Gudka, CEO, Field: “Toni brings deep expertise to our operations in Spain, an important market as we expand across Europe and work to achieve a net zero future. Without battery storage, renewable energy cannot scale at the pace the world needs to decarbonise.

“With the right policy and regulation in place, our batteries will not only balance supply and demand across the grid but will even more to make use of the existing transmission infrastructure and renewable energy supplies we already have."

[1] ENTSOe Transparency Platform, Number of hours of electricity prices at zero or less, Consulted on 17 June 2024.