PCI of fuels in non-peninsular territories 2025: what changes for power plants

Key data

Power plants located in non-peninsular territories operating under the additional remuneration regime of RD 738/2015 now have the official PCI values for 2025. The Resolution of September 11, 2026 from the General Directorate of Energy Policy and Mines establishes the parameters that the system operator will use to calculate how much each plant receives for the fuel consumed during the 2025 fiscal year.

This is a technical step but with direct economic consequences: the PCI determines the energy efficiency recognized for each fuel and, therefore, the amount of additional remuneration that each plant holder will receive. A higher PCI value implies greater energy recognized per unit of fuel consumed.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution approves the lower calorific value (PCI) values of the four fossil fuels used in electricity generation in Spanish non-peninsular territories:

The resolution distinguishes two types of values with different purposes:

• Values for settlement purposes: These are monthly values, calculated from real analytics verified by an accredited entity. They reflect the actual quality of fuel consumed each month at each plant.
• Values for dispatch purposes: These are averages of the final values already approved. They are used for planning and dispatching generation groups.

When there was no consumption in a given period or verified analytics were not available, the reference values from Annex III of Order TED/1315/2022 are applied. This ensures that no period is left without an assigned value and that settlements can be closed in their entirety.

The system operator will combine these PCI values with the fuel prices approved in separate resolutions to carry out the final settlements for the 2025 fiscal year. Both parameters are necessary: the PCI measures the energy contained in the fuel and the price measures its acquisition cost.

Economic and operational impact

The PCI is not merely a technical figure: it is an economic multiplier. The additional fuel remuneration received by each plant is calculated by combining the volume of fuel consumed, its price and its lower calorific value. A higher PCI recognizes more energy per ton or liter of fuel, which can translate into higher remuneration or higher recognized efficiency for the plant.

From an operational perspective, this resolution closes the cycle of data needed for final settlements for 2025. Until its publication, the system operator could only make provisional settlements. As of September 22, 2026, it now has all the PCI values needed to definitively settle the fiscal year.

Plant holders who in any month of 2025 had no recorded consumption or whose analytics were not available will receive remuneration calculated with the reference values from Annex III of Order TED/1315/2022, which act as official substitute values. This may differ from the actual values of their fuel, either higher or lower.

Who does it affect?

• Holders of electricity generation groups under the additional remuneration regime of RD 738/2015 located in the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla.
• Power plant operators that consume coal, fuel oil, diesel oil or gasoil as primary or backup fuel.
• Finance and regulatory departments of electricity companies with assets in non-peninsular territories that manage settlements with the system operator.
• Energy advisors and regulatory consultants who assist plant holders in reviewing and validating settlements.
• The system operator, which applies these values to calculate and issue final settlements for the 2025 fiscal year.

Practical example

A power generation plant located in the Canary Islands that operates with fuel oil under the additional remuneration regime of RD 738/2015 will have consumed fuel throughout the twelve months of 2025. For each month in which it has analytics verified by an accredited entity, the system operator will apply the monthly PCI value for settlement purposes corresponding to that fuel and territory.

If in any month—due to technical shutdown or lack of available analytics—there is no verified value, the operator will automatically apply the reference value from Annex III of Order TED/1315/2022. The plant will receive the additional remuneration calculated with that substitute value, which may be different from the actual PCI of its fuel in that period.

The final result of the 2025 final settlement for that plant will depend on the combination of these approved PCI values with the fuel prices set in the corresponding price resolution, also published separately.

What should companies do now?

1. Review the PCI values applied in the provisional settlements for 2025 and compare them with the values now approved in this resolution to detect possible differences that affect the final remuneration.
2. Verify if in any month of 2025 the reference value from Annex III of Order TED/1315/2022 was applied due to absence of analytics. If the actual value of your fuel differed significantly, evaluate the economic impact on the final settlement.
3. Coordinate with the system operator the receipt and validation of the final settlements for the 2025 fiscal year, which can now be issued with the PCI approved in this resolution.
4. Cross-reference this resolution with the 2025 fuel price resolution (published separately), as both parameters are necessary to calculate the complete additional remuneration.
5. Archive the documentation of verified analytics by accredited entity corresponding to 2025, as they are the basis of the monthly settlement values and may be required in case of review or claim.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in 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-2026-19527