100 MW storage plant cancelled in Huesca: lessons for renewable developers

Key data

A large-scale energy storage project dies before construction. The Visenta plant, promoted by Full Solar Energy, SL in the municipality of Sesué (Huesca), with an installed capacity of 100 MW, has been permanently archived following the developer's withdrawal in April 2026. The Resolution of 17 June 2026 from the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines formally accepts that withdrawal and closes file SGIISE/ALM-012.

The reason stated by the developer: objective impossibility to continue the project, after accumulating unfavorable reports from three different bodies and seeing its network access and connection permits expire.

What does this resolution establish?

The resolution accepts the voluntary withdrawal of the developer from the prior administrative authorization of the Visenta storage plant and its evacuation infrastructure. The project had been requested in September 2023 and was planned to connect to the Sesué 220 kV substation.

The three bodies that issued unfavorable reports, blocking the advancement of the file, were:

• INAGA (Aragonese Institute for Environmental Management)
• General Directorate of Natural Environment of Aragón
• Provincial Commission for Urban Planning of Huesca

Additionally, the network access and connection permits to the transmission grid at the Sesué 220 kV substation had expired in February 2026, eliminating any technical possibility of continuing even if environmental obstacles had been resolved.

With the acceptance of the withdrawal, file SGIISE/ALM-012 is permanently archived, with no possibility of reactivation under the same terms.

Economic and operational impact

For the developer, the direct cost is the loss of all investment made in project development: technical studies, engineering, administrative processing, obtaining network permits and managing environmental impact assessment. In 100 MW projects, these pre-development phases typically represent several million euros before the first stone is laid.

The Visenta case illustrates a specific risk pattern for the energy storage sector in Spain:

• Multi-agency environmental assessment risk: when regional environmental, urban planning and environmental management bodies are involved, an unfavorable report from any of them can block the project. Here all three failed simultaneously.
• Network permit expiry risk: access and connection permits have strict deadlines. If the environmental processing takes too long, network permits can expire before environmental obstacles are resolved, as happened in this case in February 2026.
• Permanent archival risk: the withdrawal accepted by the General Directorate closes the file with no possibility of resuming the project under the same terms. The developer would need to start a new procedure from scratch.

Who does it affect?

• Developers of energy storage projects in processing or development phase in Spain, especially in autonomous communities with active environmental bodies like Aragón.
• Investors and funds with participation in storage or renewable projects in prior authorization phase.
• Advisors and consultants for energy project development managing files with the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines.
• Companies with network access and connection permits to the transmission grid approaching their expiry dates.
• Renewable sector operators planning projects in Huesca province or in areas with high environmental sensitivity in Aragón.

Practical example

A developer who in 2023 requested authorization for a 100 MW storage plant in Sesué (Huesca), as Full Solar Energy, SL did, would have obtained network access and connection permits to the Sesué 220 kV substation. Those permits expired in February 2026, while the file remained blocked by negative reports from INAGA, the General Directorate of Natural Environment of Aragón and the Provincial Commission for Urban Planning of Huesca.

In April 2026, faced with objective impossibility to continue—without valid network permits and with three environmental reports against it—the developer formalized the withdrawal. The General Directorate accepted it on 17 June 2026 and file SGIISE/ALM-012 was archived. Result: project cancelled, investment in development lost, and need to start a new procedure from scratch if the initiative were to be resumed.

What should companies do now?

1. Audit the status of network access and connection permits for all projects in portfolio: verify expiry dates and act before they expire, especially if environmental processing is underway.
2. Map the regional bodies involved in environmental impact assessment for each project: identify if environmental management, natural environment and urban planning bodies intervene simultaneously, and assess the risk of unfavorable reports from each.
3. Review environmental viability before requesting network permits: the Visenta case shows that obtaining network permits without having ensured prior environmental viability can result in those permits expiring before environmental obstacles are resolved.
4. Establish a contingency protocol for projects receiving unfavorable reports: assess whether it is possible to modify project design, change location or negotiate with bodies before reaching withdrawal.
5. Consult the complete resolution published in the BOE on 10 July 2026 to learn the details of the procedure and legal grounds for archiving file SGIISE/ALM-012.

Official source

View complete regulation at official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-15111