Fighting the energy crisis is vital

We are facing a critical situation that we must face together as a matter of urgency, because any excess in the most remote part of the world affects us all. That is why combating the energy crisis is vital.

Climate change is the greatest challenge we face today and stopping it should be our main premise as a society. In this sense, the commitment to clean energies that do not generate emissions is key to achieving this.

According to the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Spain is one of the European countries with the greatest potential for using renewable energies. The sectors with the greatest potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions are electricity generation and transport.

Research shows that there are already countries where 100% of the electricity generated comes from renewable sources. And many others where this percentage is higher than 80%. In fact, they have become the cheapest sources of electricity in many markets.

In accordance with the European Green Pact Goals, the European Union (EU) has committed to becoming the first climate-neutral zone by 2050, proposing to increase the contribution of renewable energy sources to the EU's energy mix by 40%.

In line with these objectives, the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan and the Ecological Transition Law aim for the Spanish government to achieve an electricity system with at least 74% renewable energy generation by 2030. Moreover, by 2050 , Spain is expected to reach neutrality of greenhouse gas emissions from oil, natural gas and coal. And as one of the "first steps", the International Energy Agency states that predictions point to energy from renewable sources such as the sun or wind surpassing that from coal or gas by 2024.

Furthermore, the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) states that this will transform the energy system towards greater energy self-sufficiency on the basis of efficiently taking advantage of the renewable potential existing in our country. This would have a positive impact on national energy security, since it would significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports, which represent a high economic bill, subject to geopolitical factors and high price volatility.

However, as stated by Rafael Mateo, CEO of Acciona, in an interview with the Diario de Navarra, "the energy crisis is going to continue and generates an environment of volatility with which we will have to live for quite some time." One of the remedies are renewable energies, which we have already discussed, but others are efficiency and electrification solutions, and various innovative technologies, for which research is a fundamental pillar.

One of the fundamental principles guiding the development of the PNIEC has been "energy efficiency first". Efficiency measures are central to all sectors of the economy, with special mention of transport and industry. These will be the key sectors for achieving climate neutrality in our country, since both account for more than 60% of greenhouse gas emissions in Spain. Moreover, these two sectors are interconnected and depend on each other.

There are ways to combat the energy crisis. One of them, perhaps the most within the reach of every citizen, is to bet on sustainable transport, which is becoming more and more important every day.

With regard to the industrial sector, which is so affected by the high prices of energy and raw materials, one way to combat this fact is the efficient management of production plants, which, apart from contributing to lower prices, will reduce the stoppages of many production processes and the closure of some activities. To this end, industrial companies will have to invest in new technologies that facilitate their energy efficiency and bring flexibility to the national energy system.

The Spanish government's national research, innovation and competitiveness objectives include:

• To orient research and development towards finding solutions to social challenges and sustainable development objectives.
• Promote public-private collaboration and business research and innovation.
• Strengthen technology transfer from the public system to society and industry to facilitate the ecological transition.
• To place citizens at the center of the energy and climate transition model, helping them to take on a greater role.

The new energy paradigm is based on the "4 Ds", as defined in this article in Revista Empresarial:

• Decarbonization: transforming polluting energy sources into renewable sources, for a lower environmental impact.
• Digitalization: in the case of the electricity industry, the digital transformation process is directly related to the regulation of the electricity market.
• Decentralization: creating new business models based on a collaborative economy.
• Democratization: implies equitable access to energy for all people, both in terms of housing, new technologies and new business models.

At Grupo Álava we work with clear objectives in the search for clean energy and sustainable mobility, because we believe that this is the only way to build a fair future for everyone, and we must do it together.

Do you want to know how we can help you? Contact us!