Andorra Begins €50M Substation to Triple Electricity Imports from Spain

Forces Elèctriques d’Andorra (FEDA) has begun construction on the Riu Runer transformer and distribution substation (ETR), a €50 million project designed to nearly triple the principality’s electricity import capacity from Spain’s 220 kV line.

The initiative, unveiled on Monday by FEDA director general Sílvia Calvó, operations and new infrastructure director Jordi Travé, and secretary of state for energy transition, transport and mobility David Forné, responds to rising demand driven by the electrification of transport, heating, and buildings. Calvó described the substation as a cornerstone for Andorra’s energy transition, ensuring long-term supply security through stronger ties to both Spain and France. She highlighted how recent French interconnections maintained power during Spain’s blackout last April, noting the new facility will deliver equivalent resilience from the Spanish side.

First included in Spanish energy plans in 2006 but stalled by successive crises, the project gained momentum through recent diplomacy, including a deal to extend the 220 kV line to the Riu Runer site. Of the total cost, €20 million funds the substation itself—which steps down voltage to Andorra’s 110 kV grid—while €30 million covers Spanish-side line extensions and upgrades at the Adrall substation.

Work is split into three phases: excavation and foundations, now in progress; erection of a single modern building to house all electrical gear; and installation of transformers and cabling. Travé stressed the design’s environmental fit, with no visible transformers or cables, and efforts to repurpose excavated soil for nearby enhancements, including areas around the adjacent dog protection centre.

Set to enter service in 2029 after three years of coordinated construction with Spain, the substation will secure current and future energy needs, Forné said, calling it an indispensable pillar for the country’s transition and a defining moment in national energy capacity.