The energy crisis that emerged with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is breaking the intrigues and dogmas established by the European Union’s own commitment. decarbonising the economy. Coal and nuclear power are returning in some countries in the face of bottlenecks and exorbitant prices in the electricity, oil and above all gas markets, the urgent need to gain independence and security of supply. In this devastating context, Aragon asked the central government to reconsider its veto. discovery and research for hydrocarbon deposits search for oil in various parts of the province huesca.
This is one of the proposals made by Arturo Aliaga, Vice-President of Aragon and Minister of Industry, at the Energy Sector Conference held this Wednesday with Teresa Ribera, Minister of Ecological Transition, to prepare for the autonomous communities. most contingency plan for energy saving He said that the central government would send it to Brussels.
In 2018, the Government of Aragon received a request from the company. Helios Aragon Discovery SLsubsidiary in Spain multinational British Petroleum and Axion, for the granting of two hydrocarbon exploration permits in Barbastro and Monzón. Ministry of Industry Governor of Aragon He gave his approval in May 2020, but Climate Change and Energy Transformation Law –Effective from February 2021– new powers exploration or exploitation of hydrocarbons.
Faced with this ban, the General Directorate of Energy and Mining, last July “partial termination by voluntary resignation” obtaining both research permits by the aforementioned company, but the Government of Aragon wants to reverse this restriction. “We are in a process that has just begun, but we have requested that the law be changed to open up the possibility of investigation.” Aliağa reassured him in his statements to the press after the Energy Sector Conference this Wednesday.
“Until we can extract the exploit and determine whether the resources are available or whether it is economically viable to extract, a series of steps must be taken. We want to advance research and discoveries”. The consultant stated that the permits requested by the company in question were “obviously not” with hydraulic fracturing or the fracturing technique that has been banned in the community since 2012.
In this regard, he noted: Aragon governor does not talk about fracking but he said general permits could be granted to explore hydrocarbons, something that is not currently possible. Climate Change Act.
“European solidarity” for energy
Regarding the contingency plan, Aliağa explained that the ministry “edited and built” its proposal after collecting the ideas of the affected sectors and autonomies, but said that maximum attention should be paid to the extraordinary European council of energy ministers celebrating the celebration. this friday because they will be adopted “special measures” in the form of possible “restrictions” Given the severity of the situation due to the interruption of the supply of Russian gas. Among his decisions to “prepare for winter” he said: “Limit or recommend” reducing electricity consumption during peak hours.
“We should all know that We are in an energy war and we must defend ourselves with the weapons we have: to save money and be more efficient. Considering another measure when the time comes… Sometimes there are water cuts and nothing happens,” he said.
Among the distortions that occurred, 25% of Portugal’s electricity comes from Spain, this transfers more energy to France due to the mismatch in nuclear production. “In this complex context, there is a magic word. European solidarity to deal with this energy drowning threat This caused war in Ukraine. And this is Spain and the autonomous communities,” he said.
Promotion of energy communities
Aliağa, after the central government cogeneration compensation for the gas ceiling in the electricity market, 35 plants of this species in AragonAdds up to an installed capacity of 512 MW.
In this second proposal from the autonomies for the contingency plan, Aragon also sought approval of the energy communities regulation, as transposition of the two community directives is still pending. It regulates a model that we “need” so that such an installation can “flow as an element of the substitution of fossil energies” as in self-consumption.
Finally Aliaga claimed energy policies go hand in hand with industry. “They are inseparable,” he stressed. It also chose to give “special attention” to energy poverty so that “no one is deprived” of essential resources such as gas. In this sense, he drew attention to the fact that DGA was processed. 27,000 files of thermal social bonusWith an aid amount of 7 million euros.