The government is currently working to update it. National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC), official roadmap for increase decarbonization economy and energy system within the next ten years. The revision of the plan will include more ambitious targets for renewable energies deployment by 2030, which is considered certain, but the Execution is also ready – and this was not so guaranteed. more importance renewable gases.
This was confirmed by this week Sara Aagesen, Minister of State for Energy, An increase in biomethane production targets and a major boost to green hydrogen expansion are expected. “Gas is essential in the energy transition,” he declared in front of the main executives of the national gas industry. “We are ready to support renewable gases and raise the targets set in the PNIEC”.
The announcement was made by the Secretary of State at the grand annual meeting. Spanish Gas Association (Sedigás)Promote Spain’s historic opportunity to lead the renewable gas revolution in Europe, along with speeches by all participants, and to promote security of supply, energy sovereignty and the energy transition towards decarbonisation.
“Spain has a potential that it owes us” to be big centre of the Europe of renewable gases”, said Joan Batalla, president of Sedigás. A message supported by key executives, with different nuances on how to do it, that draws each to the formula most beneficial for their company. “Spain can and should assume European leadership in gas production from renewable sources”.
More than one of the industry’s huge Spanish gas infrastructure 100,000 kilometers of transportation and distribution network The portfolio of projects already prepared or easily adaptable for the circulation of renewable gases, and to develop the Spanish industry’s production of biomethane (derived from biogas produced by recycling organic waste) and green hydrogen (produced only with renewable energies), gives the country a privileged position to lead the European race for the deployment of renewable gases. location.
First biomethane, then H2
Large energy companies often envision a rapid expansion of biomethane and then the deployment of green hydrogen (H2) and request for the latter. More public assistance in the form of subsidies benefiting from European funds achieve a sufficient degree of maturity for the technology.
Spain already has five plants that produce biomethane and mix it with natural gas and inject it into the grid. In addition, its portfolio includes more than 200 projects that can be realized in the next two years. In parallel, such as business giants iberdrola, Endesa, naturalness, repsol, cesa, enagas, redexis anyone to spread They are in this race to get into the big business of green hydrogen and accumulate projects with billionaire investments planning to set up production facilities in Spain.
“In terms of biomethane, EU recognizes that we are the third country with the greatest potential. when it comes to hydrogenWe are the first power for hydrogen production and export. In that sense, biomethane is the present, given that it is a mature and competitive technology and hydrogen is undoubtedly the energy vector of the future,” said Sedigás president. Employers think Spain should set an ambitious target of producing biomethane to meet around 10% of all gas demand by 2030.
While the revision of the PNIEC planned in principle for 2023 is awaited, the Government claims that steps have already been taken to promote the Biogas Roadmap, the Hydrogen Roadmap and, above all, renewable gases. macro project The strategic plan of the Recovery Plan to promote green hydrogen and renewable energies includes: 16,300 million public and private investments.
EU edition
plan designed by European Commission To break Europe’s dependence on hydrocarbons Russia Plans an investment of 210,000 million euros until 2027. The aim is for countries to launch new initiatives to reduce their energy consumption, diversify suppliers, especially gases, and accelerate the deployment of renewable energy as a way to gain energy sovereignty, and reduce European vulnerability to the Russian military occupation of Ukraine.
Among the goals set to curb the energy crisis and accelerate connectivity with Russia, Brussels places strategic emphasis on promoting renewable gases as part of the transition to a decarbonised future and maintaining energy sovereignty given that they can be produced in Europe. Union itself.
In the REPowerEU roadmap prepared to curb the energy crisis and accelerate the connection with Russia, the European Union attaches strategic importance to the promotion of renewable gases as an alternative to a greener future with more energy sovereignty. The European plan sets targets to increase renewable hydrogen production and imports to 20 million tons by 2030, or to increase biomethane production to 35,000 cubic meters. It is planned to allocate 27,000 million euros for the commissioning of hydrogen infrastructures and another 10,000 million euros to strengthen the gas networks through which gas from renewable sources will circulate.
More interlinks
Gas industry and Government, the inevitable strengthening of international interconnections Achieving the goal of making Spain a hub for renewable gases. “Advancing in the deployment of infrastructures for the use of renewable gases is essential,” said Naiara Ortiz de Mendíbil, secretary general of Sedigás. “We must continue to expand the connections of the Spanish gas system with Europe,” he said.
The Spanish Government is demanding that the EU reactivate the project to build a new gas pipeline with France through the Catalan Pyrenees (called MidCat), but conditions it on the fact that the infrastructure is not paid for by Spanish consumers and that this may be possible. converted to carry green hydrogen in the future. Brussels has shown its willingness to finance some of the cost of building new gas and electricity interconnections between Spain and France.