Ribera assures that renewable hydrogen is "a train that Spain should not miss"

MADRID, 31 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The third vice president of the Government and minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, has assured that renewable hydrogen, in addition to being conceived as a "common project in Europe", is perceived in Spain as "a train that does not "It must be allowed to pass through geographical, logistical, infrastructure, human and corporate capabilities, and institutional and regulatory context conditions."

At the inauguration of the II Hydrogen Day organized by Enagás, Ribera indicated that hydrogen is an issue that "has been worked on for years" and that represents for Spain "a great economic, energy, industrial, social and environmental opportunity, but also as a great opportunity to build a common project". "It's something we shouldn't let go," he said.

Likewise, he pointed out that, although a goal is planned for 81% of electricity to be produced from renewable sources, hydrogen will also achieve "a leading presence" to decarbonize those options "in which electricity is not enough".

"Having hydrogen capacities gives solvency to the electrical system and having this renewable capacity gives solvency to the perspective of a hydrogen economy," he said.

Within this industrial opportunity that hydrogen represents, Ribera pointed out that the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) "increases ambition and updates the objectives" to 11 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, compared to the four contemplated in the previous version. .

In addition, he highlighted the "important" steps in regulatory matters that have been taken to pave the way for the commitment to hydrogen to become a reality, such as the assignment to Enagás to act as provisional operator responsible for presenting a skeleton proposal. hydrogen transportation backbone network for the country or the system of guarantees of origin that provides added value to renewable hydrogen compared to gases of fossil origin, among others.

However, Ribera highlighted that this work "has only just begun" and this scenario must continue to be shaped to promote hydrogen and also design hydrogen transport networks.

"It is something fundamental that can only be done on the basis of collaboration, cooperation between administrations, regulators and companies, professional companies with a long tradition and knowledge in this field," he added in this regard.

In this regard, he indicated that the "priority in these months" will be to work on the transposition of the hydrogen directive and the rest of the regulations, the Fit for 55 package, "which has not yet been incorporated into our national regulatory reality." , said.

For his part, the president of Enagás, Antonio Llardén, stressed that hydrogen will play "a key role" in the decarbonization process as an "autochthonous and autonomous vector."

"It will play from an investment and technological development point of view and it also has great power to transform our industry and to contribute to the reindustrialization of Europe, in addition to also being an opportunity for the Iberian Peninsula, for Spain and for Portugal" , said.

Likewise, Llardén considered that to achieve zero net emissions one cannot "only play the electrification card", which is why he stated that hydrogen "is no longer combined in the future, but in the present."

Meanwhile, the executive vice president of the European Commission, Maros Sefcovic, highlighted the need for the Old Continent to ensure a decarbonized future, something that "will be achieved thanks in part to hydrogen."

In this regard, he indicated that without the right infrastructure at the right time, "the enormous promise that renewable hydrogen represents will never be fulfilled."