The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge organised a technical seminar from 4 to 6 July, as part of the start of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. During the event, experts from the sector spoke about the promotion of renewable hydrogen, which is necessary to achieve decarbonisation goals.
The event was opened by the European Commission's Director General for Energy, Ditte Juul, and the State Secretary for Energy of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen.
During the session focused on the value chain, transmission, and distribution of hydrogen, Enagás' Hydrogen General Manager, Jesús Gil, participated alongside Joan Batalla, the Chairman of Sedigas, and Rafael Calvera, the Chairman of Calvera Hydrogen.
Gil informed the audience that Enagás is actively engaged in decarbonisation efforts and the implementation of renewable gases, particularly green hydrogen. The company is committed to meeting the targets outlined by the European Commission in REPowerEU by 2030, aligning with Spain's roadmap and the new draft of the 2023 National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC-23). He noted “the significant backing for the Iberian green hydrogen corridor, the H2Med project, and the Hydrogen Backbone Network, all of which are essential components of the future energy framework in Spain and Europe”.
The session on the certification of hydrogen as a renewable gas featured the participation of Susana de Pablo, General Manager of Enagás Technical System Management, and Carmen Rodríguez from Enagás' Guarantees of Origin team. They were joined by José Miguel Bermúdez, an Energy Technology Analyst from the IEA, and Matthieu Bisson, the project coordinator of CertyfHy.
During this session, the panellists highlighted the significance of guarantees of origin for renewable gases in empowering consumers to actively contribute to decarbonisation efforts. They said that the guarantees of origin platform has undergone rapid development, with growing interest from the sector and an increasing number of users each week. Furthermore, Susana de Pablo noted that "the inclusion of sustainability certificates in guarantees of origin would greatly support the advancement of renewable gases".
The CEO of Enagás Renovable, Antón Martínez, participated in the first session on the lessons learned from pioneering renewable hydrogen projects. Joining him were Belén Linares, the Director of Innovation at Acciona Energía, and Millán García-Tola, the head of green hydrogen at Iberdrola.