Spain’s Government has authorised a EUR 1.33 billion tender, via Adif AV, for green energy supply in rail transport. The contract largely maintains the requirements of previous electricity supply agreements, while introducing several new elements tailored to the needs of railway operators. The contracts will run from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030, with no possibility of extension.
The tender does not include the costs associated with access to transmission and distribution networks, which will be managed entirely by Adif AV in coordination with the distribution companies.
The negotiated procedure that Adif AV will initiate with energy suppliers involves a single type of offer—an indexed pass-through price with the option to secure fixed-price hedges—allowing each operator to decide when, how much energy to hedge, and for which period.
Adif AV will then shortlist the three most competitive bids and enter into negotiations with the selected bidders to secure the most favourable terms.
The pricing structure will be based on a pass-through model, meaning the final cost will depend on actual consumption, the bids received, the resulting wholesale market price on OMIE (the Iberian Energy Market Operator), balancing services, and any price hedging conducted through OMIP (the Portuguese branch of the Iberian Energy Derivatives Market).
The electricity supply points have been divided into 16 lots, based on proximity criteria, to minimise consumption deviations within each group and to standardise market costs.
A key innovation is the introduction of a new price hedging mechanism, distinguishing between periods of high and low liquidity in the OMIP market.
Railway operators will be able to continue developing their own energy price management strategies, in coordination with Adif AV, over a longer timeframe. This will enhance their capacity to manage and optimise energy costs. Operators will be able to request price hedges for all or part of the energy they expect to consume over a defined period—monthly, quarterly, or annually—with Adif AV managing the closure orders with the contracted energy supplier.
In 2024, energy consumption for traction on the Adif and Adif AV railway network reached 2.76 TWh, and is expected to increase to 2.79 TWh in 2025.
The entirety of this green energy supply in rail will be renewable and backed by Guarantees of Origin (GoO), in line with the commitments outlined in Adif and Adif AV’s 2018–2030 Climate Change Action Plan.
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