• Natalia Latorre, Enagás’s Energy Transition General Manager, highlights the key role played by Spain’s gas infrastructure in ensuring security of supply in the current geopolitical context 

Natalia Latorre, the Energy Transition General Manager of Enagás, emphasised that the development of green hydrogen and biomethane will help strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy. Speaking at the 11th elEconomista Energy Forum in Madrid on 9 and 10 September, she said: “Energy sovereignty depends on the integration of renewable gases.

Infrastructure plays a fundamental role in this vision of system and market creation. It is the only way to link production with consumption”, she emphasised. She also highlighted the important role of networks in developing a competitive European hydrogen market.

Natalia Latorre underlined the role of gas infrastructure in promoting renewable gases by integrating biomethane into the Spanish Gas System. There are already 27 terminals injecting gas and a further 250 that have been deemed technically viable for connection. Taken together, these facilities have the potential to inject 22 TWh of energy per year, exceeding the target set out in the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC). 

In this context, she focused on the crucial role of Spain’s gas infrastructure in ensuring the EU’s security of supply: our country accounts for 37% of Europe’s total LNG storage capacity. Alongside the new infrastructure being developed across the continent and the increase in global liquefaction capacity, the  Energy Transition General Manager pointed out that Europe is better prepared today than it was in winter 2022.

Ms Latorre took part in the round-table discussion Infrastructure and the development of renewable gases: Biomethane and hydrogen, moderated by Rubén Esteller, Deputy Director of elEconomista, and which featured Oliverio Álvarez, Partner in charge of Energy, Resources and Industry at Deloitte; Pedro Larrea, Managing Director of Networks at Naturgy; Manuel Alonso, Managing Director of Biorig; Javier Alonso, CEO of Hatta Energy; Javier Migoya, Director of Expansion at Redexis; and José Melo, Director of Energy, Recycling and Recovery at Veolia in Spain.