Ed’s note: Enlit on the Road, first stop Bilbao
I recently had the pleasure to rub shoulders and listen to the good and the great from the Basque Country’s energy sector during the first edition of ‘Enlit on the Road’, our journey to find out how the energy transition is manifesting in different European cities and regions.
During my three days in Bilbao, I got to see how their approach to the energy transition is having an impact, not only locally, but on an increasingly global basis too. I am excited to share some of my observations:
First observation: Co-operation with a healthy sprinkling of competition. Iberdrola has over 170 years of history and is now a global energy leader, the number one producer of wind power, and one of the world’s biggest electricity utilities in terms of market capitalisation. Headquartered in Bilbao, it is no coincidence that the city also plays host to a thriving, innovative ecosystem of energy tech providers.
Moreover, Cluster De Energía (Basque Energy Cluster) works closely with Iberdrola to develop solutions that will play a fundamental role in the energy transition. This may all sound quite altruistic, however, this is also where competition kicks in since every solution provider wants to develop a better and more cost-effective solution. After all, fair competition is always a healthy thing.
Second observation: What a difference 2000km makes. Enlit was born out of the realisation that there is no such thing as ‘one size fits all’ approach to the energy transition. We will rely on a system of systems with different energy sources complementing each other and the mix of those energy sources will change as we transition. This is where the discussion flourishes and where different countries are backing different technologies in their route to net zero.
Spain has an abundance of suitable space (offshore and onshore). And sunshine, though my friends in Bilbao are ‘complaining’ that it is not nearly enough. Also, the building blocks and investment areas look very different to countries 2000km to the east, for example. In other words, the ingredients in the mix may be different in the various EU countries, but sharing our knowledge and experience across the whole spectrum of the energy system must be a priority if we want to achieve our goals.
Final observation: And one I am keen on sharing with you. It regards the commitment of Spanish utilities to play a role in the decarbonisation of end-user sectors. For example, Iberdrola may have a plethora of projects across the mobility and industrial sectors, but the Puertollano Green Hydrogen Plant caught my eye.
Iberdrola has commenced construction of the largest plant producing green hydrogen for industrial use in Europe. The Puertollano (Ciudad Real) plant will consist of a 100MW photovoltaic solar plant, a lithium-ion battery system with a storage capacity of 20MWh and one of the largest electrolytic hydrogen production systems in the world (20MW). All from 100% renewable sources.
The alliance between Iberdrola, Fertiberia (Fertilizer and raw materials company) and Nel Hydrogen (supplying the electrolysers) convinced me that Enlit must continue to strive to bring more diverse groups to our online resource and live events.
But you don’t have to take only my word for all the above. Over the coming weeks, the Enlit on the Road content will be released. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did and let me know what think.
Thank you, Areti, for the opportunity to “takeover” the Smart Energy International ed’s note this week.
Cheers,
Paddy Young
Director, Enlit Europe
