The second edition of the Valencia Energy Forum, organized by Levante-EMV, INFORMACIÓN and El Periódico Mediterráneo, with the collaboration of Statkraft, Grupo Gimeno, Iberdrola, Endesa, X-ELIO, PreZero, Genia, Grenergy, Valfortec, Matteco and BP, concentrated on the sponsored energy transition and the search for new sustainable energy sources that help accelerate the decarbonization of the economy while stressing the push for Valencia’s energy sovereignty.
The venue was the Foundation Bancaja in Valencia, hosting the event which was moderated by Silvia Tomás, the director of Institutional Relations and Press at Prensa Ibérica in Valencia. Attendees included representatives from public administration and the private energy sector. The president of the Valencian Community, Carlos Mazón, opened the day and spoke about energy independence with a firm resolve: Our sovereignty over energy is indisputable. We have the capacity and we will pursue it.
La energía es un concepto global que involucra todos los modelos de negocio. Nuestra estrategia es multisectorial
Guillermo Berlanga
— Grupo Gimeno
The Consell leader highlighted Valencia’s strengths in advancing the energy transition. He stressed the importance of not letting the opportunity slip to strengthen this industry and position the Valencian Community at the forefront of the energy shift. He underscored the plan to create an energy industrial hub and the imminent announcements regarding the region, including the development of Spain’s largest green hydrogen company, to be located in Castellón.
The institutional opening gave way to the first round table, which examined the current state of new energy sources in the Valencian Community. The discussion was moderated by Toni Cabot, director of Information. Participants included Marcos Lacruz, president of Avaesen; Ricardo Romaguera, president of the Valencia Energy Cluster; and David Ribó, representative of the University Institute of Energy Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Valencia.
We are in a transformation process with the objective of reaching net zero emissions by 2050 or earlier.
Estrella Jara Galán
— BP
Most speakers agreed on catching the renewable opportunity and aligning administration efforts in that direction. It was stated that this is Valencia’s last chance to harmonize with European policies; Marcos Lacruz called for seizing the moment, while Ricardo Romaguera explained that the main obstacle lies in the processing of filings. Ribó urged a model that benefits society as a whole and emphasized moving forward with renewable energy while keeping sight of long-term goals.
Venture voices from industry followed, including Guillermo Berlanga, director of R&D and Continuous Improvement at Grupo Gimeno, who explained the role of the energy transition as a growth lever for the company. He noted pillars such as biogas development, solar photovoltaics, hydrogen, clean CO2 generation, and ongoing innovation.
Las centrales hidroeléctricas de bombeo son el complemento ideal de la energía solar y la energía eólica
José Navarro
— Iberdrola
Next, the head of Communications and External Affairs at BP, Estrella Jara Galán, outlined the company’s ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner. She highlighted three major growth engines for BP’s decarbonization strategy: biofuels, green hydrogen, and electrification. The company has significantly increased investment in these pillars and aims to reach half of its target by 2030.
In Iberdrola, José Navarro, head of Mediterranean Generation maintenance, discussed pumped storage plants as the perfect complement to solar and wind energy. He outlined an ambitious expansion plan for this renewables sector, including five new facilities in the future.
Se han autorizado 1.078 megavatios de proyectos de renovables, multiplicando por diez lo que teníamos
Manuel Argüelles
— Director General de Energía y Minas de la Generalitat Valenciana
The first segment concluded with Manuel Argüelles presenting the energy and mining department’s plans to clear bottlenecks and steer the future: a friendly and updated legal framework supports strategic projects, enabling the region to attract energy initiatives. He noted that 1,078 megawatts have already been authorized, representing a tenfold increase from the previous level. He also admitted that the sector should better communicate the social benefits of renewables.
Nuevas oportunidades
The program resumed after a short break with a talk by Guillermo Roth Damas, deputy head of Statkraft in Spain, who focused on green energy and the agricultural sector. He described the opportunities tied to renewables, including climate change mitigation, food security, and energy sovereignty. He argued that renewables can help farmers reduce fossil fuel use and stabilize energy costs, supporting the whole value chain.
The second roundtable analyzed new energy sources and the keys to attracting companies. Moderated by José Luis Valencia, the discussion featured José Vicente Anaya, mayor of Ayora; Antonio Moset, head of Solar Operations and Maintenance at Endesa; Fidel Roig, CEO of Valfortec; and Pablo Otín, CEO of Grenergy.
Las energías renovables son la solución a los problemas del sector primario
Guillermo Roth Damas
— Statkraft
A large portion of the conversation turned to Cofrentes, the nuclear plant which will close in 2030. Anaya noted that the closure will pose challenges for energy supply, while the other speakers agreed that there are viable substitutes through renewables and storage. Otín added that companies have the capacity to manage the transition, and Moset emphasized the critical role of the autoconsumption market as a necessity for the region.
The final presentation was given by Javier Cepeda González, energy manager at PreZero, who analyzed waste energy valorization. He stated that this is not a distant possibility but an everyday reality. PreZero has operated biomethane producing facilities for over nine years, with last year’s data showing energy production of around 900 gigawatts, equivalent to the consumption of a city like Castellón.
Estoy gestionando instalaciones con producción de biometano desde hace más de nueve años
Javier Cepeda González
— PreZero
The conference closed with a third roundtable moderated by Ángel Báez, director of El Periódico Mediterráneo. The focus was on advancing green hydrogen and biomethane. Participants included José Manuel Sanchis, head of Communications and Marketing at Matteco; Guillermo Alomar, senior advisor at Baleària; Gabriel Butler, CEO of Genia Bioenergy; and Ignacio Casado, marketing and communications director at ITE.
Proyectos valientes deben impulsarse para acelerar la implantación de estas energías alternativas
Ignacio Casado
— (ITE)
The participants agreed on the need for bold, collaborative projects to speed up the adoption of alternative energies. Casado urged stronger public-private cooperation, Butler called for more licenses to unlock Valencia’s full capacity, Sanchis requested targeted support for companies in scaling up R&D, and Alomar celebrated the technological progress that makes these energies more affordable. The discussions underscored a shared belief that practical steps and cross-sector collaboration can unlock a sustainable energy future for the region.