A year ago, the congress organized by the Valencian Association of Energy Sector Companies (AVAESEN) generated great expectations because a few days ago the “milestone” of approving in extremis 57% of the projects to produce renewable energy in the Valencian Community. Already then the sector was complaining about the slowness of the Administration and asking for “speed” after a few “convulsive” weeks in which they worked to reach the Ministry’s deadline in a timely manner.
Yesterday, in the third edition of the same congress, the sector once again asked for agility, now from the new Valencian Government, because the Valencian Community is “frankly behind” in the deployment of the sector, in statements by Marcos J. Lacruz to Europa Press. He assured Lacruz that there are currently 420 files waiting to build new facilities and that only 1% of the objectives that were set in 2020 for the year 2030 have been met.
Decree-Law 14/2020, approved by the Botànic, on measures to accelerate the implementation of facilities for the use of renewable energies due to the climate emergency and the need for urgent economic reactivation, established the installation as a “possible horizon” in 2030. of up to 6,000 MW in photovoltaic plants and 4,000 MW in wind power plants. Then, as contemplated by the standard, the current values ??were 364 MW and 1,255 MW, respectively. In photovoltaics, it has currently reached 500 MW, but the margin is still wide, the sector insists.
It is in this context that the sector drew attention again yesterday: “We have been celebrating a series of intermediate administrative milestones but that is celebrating failure, because what other communities are doing is celebrating installing and connecting the plants to the grid.” said Lacruz.
He was speaking with the Minister of Innovation, Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Nuria Montes, at the opening session of the “Energy Revolution 2024” congress, and from her he made the commitment to “an imminent modification of the legal framework, so that the procedures are streamlined.” and allows for greater and better implementation of renewables in the Community.” The new regulation will be articulated between Industry and the Environment, the latter in the hands of Councilor Salomé Pradas.
“The greatest challenge we face during this term is to bring order to the chaos inherited by the Botànic.” Montes pointed out that “the inheritance we have received is that of a Community at the bottom of Spain in terms of photovoltaic parks connected to the network and hundreds of files stuck for different reasons.”
And he explained that “our first purpose is to move forward with these projects, avoiding the risk of bankruptcy for those who, having done things well, have been caught between regulatory changes and administrative obstacles made to avoid the implementation of renewables.”
Montes pointed out that the Consell will “especially” support energies based on mature and economically viable technologies such as photovoltaics or wind power. “Now, we understand that it is necessary to diversify and there is room for other sources such as renewable gases such as biogas.” Regarding green hydrogen, he indicated that the Generalitat will promote a Valencian Green Hydrogen Pact with the main actors and sectors involved in the generation and potential use of this energy source, which will have as a reference the Castellón ceramics cluster that “has suffered very harshly from the high costs of energy.”
In this regard, it was almost a year ago – in March 2023 – when BP Spain announced an investment of 2,000 million euros to transform its Castelló de la Plana refinery into an integrated energy center that could create up to 5,000 direct jobs. indirect and induced to lead the production of green hydrogen from the Valencian Community.
