The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a Spanish scheme to partially compensate energy-intensive companies for higher electricity prices resulting from indirect emission costs under the EU Emission Trading System (‘ETS').
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Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: “This €2.9 billion scheme enables Spain to reduce the risk of energy-intensive industries moving production to locations with less ambitious climate targets than the EU. At the same time, it will promote a cost-effective decarbonisation of the economy in line with the Green Deal objectives, while protecting competition in the Single Market.â€
The scheme notified by Spain, with a total estimated budget of €2.9 billion, will cover part of the higher electricity prices arising from the impact of carbon prices on electricity generation costs (so-called ‘indirect emission costs') incurred between 2021 and 2030.
The support measure is aimed at reducing the risk of ‘carbon leakage', where companies relocate their production to countries outside the EU with less ambitious climate policies, resulting in less economic activity in the EU and no reduction in greenhouse gas emissions globally.
The measure will benefit companies active in sectors at risk of carbon leakage listed in Annex I to the Guidelines on certain State aid measures in the context of the greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme post-2021 (‘ETS State aid Guidelines'). Those sectors face significant electricity costs and are particularly exposed to international competition.
The compensation will be granted to eligible companies through a partial refund of the indirect emission costs incurred in the previous year, with the final payment to be made in 2031.
The maximum aid amount will generally be equal to 75 % of the indirect emission costs incurred. However, in some instances, the maximum aid amount can be higher to limit the remaining indirect emission costs incurred to 1.5 % of the company's gross value added.
The aid amount is calculated based on electricity consumption efficiency benchmarks, which ensure that the beneficiaries are encouraged to save energy.
In order to qualify for compensation, companies will have to either implement certain energy audit recommendations, cover at least 30% of their electricity consumption with carbon-free sources (through on-site renewable energy generation facilities, carbon-free power purchase agreements or guarantees of origin), or invest at least 50 % of the aid amount in projects leading to substantial reductions of their installation's greenhouse gas emissions.
Beneficiaries will have to comply with one of those obligations within three years from the granting of the aid. ■