The Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO according to its Spanish acronym), through the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE according to its Spanish acronym), has approved the second call for proposals for the Circular Repowering programme (REPOTEN 2), a strategic initiative aimed at modernising existing renewable energy facilities in Spain. This call for proposals is part of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR according to its Spanish acronym) and is financed by European NextGenerationEU funds.

With a budget of €292 million, REPOTEN 2 seeks to respond to one of the major challenges facing the current energy system: making better use of existing renewable infrastructure, increasing its efficiency, reducing its environmental impact and adapting it to current technological and regulatory needs.

What is repowering and why is it so important?

Repowering consists of replacing or modernising components of a renewable energy facility with more advanced technology, without the need to occupy new land or build from scratch.

In the case of Spain, many wind and hydroelectric facilities were commissioned more than 15 or 20 years ago. Although they are still operational, their performance is lower when compared to current technologies. REPOTEN 2 is based on a key idea:
producing more clean energy with less impact, using existing infrastructure.

This allows for:

• • Increasing energy production without significantly increasing the territorial footprint.

• • Reducing indirect emissions associated with new construction.

• • Improving the integration of renewables into the electricity system.

• • Extend the useful life of facilities.

Eligible actions in REPOTEN 2

The second call for proposals expands and specifies the scope of the programme, focusing on two main areas:

• •  Repowering of wind farms

REPOTEN 2 finances repowering projects for onshore wind farms that began operating before 2010. These actions may include:

• • Replacing old wind turbines with more efficient ones with greater generation capacity.
  • Reducing the number of wind turbines, but increasing the total installed power.
  • Improving control, digitalization and operation systems.
  • Incorporating energy storage systems, favoring hybrid models.

This approach allows more energy to be produced with fewer machines, reducing the visual and environmental impact and optimising the use of wind resources.

• • Technological renovation of mini hydroelectric power plants

Another important new feature of REPOTEN 2 is the support for the renovation of mini hydroelectric power plants of up to 50 MW, extending the range compared to previous calls.

The aim is to maintain the role of hydroelectric power as a reliable and manageable renewable technology, which is key to the stability of the electricity system.

Budget, aid intensity and European funding

The call has a total budget of €292 million, coming from NextGenerationEU funds, which reinforces its strategic nature within European energy policy.

Aid is granted on a competitive basis and the intensity of the subsidy will depend on:

• The type of action.
• The size of the beneficiary.
• The energy and environmental impact of the project.

All projects must comply with the European principle of ‘Do no significant harm’ (DNSH), as well as the technical and administrative requirements established by the IDAE.

Deadlines and application procedure

Deadline for submitting applications:
From 15 January 2026 to 24 February 2026 at 12:00 noon (peninsular time)

Applications must be submitted exclusively through the IDAE’s electronic headquarters, together with the technical, financial and administrative documentation required in the resolution.

Expected impact of REPOTEN 2

With this second call, the IDAE aims to:

• Increase effective renewable capacity without increasing land use.
• Modernise key infrastructure in the Spanish electricity system.
• Promote the integration of storage and hybrid solutions.
• Contribute to the fulfilment of the objectives of the PNIEC 2023-2030.

REPOTEN 2 is not only an aid programme, but also a strategic tool to accelerate a more efficient, sustainable and competitive energy transition, focusing on the optimisation of existing resources.