Takeaways from Madrid… and a 🏆!
Spain isn't on everyone's lips in the H2 world for no reason. It has both natural and cultural strengths and is playing these:
𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬! Spain boasts a healthy and abundant mix of hydro, wind, and solar, resulting in reasonably priced clean energy. And experience in integrating it into the grid.
𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩! On both the electrons and molecules sides, companies like Iberdrola, ACCIONA, Enagás Enagás Renovable , Repsol, and CEPSA are unavoidable energy leaders, leveraging decades of experience in building and operating projects.
𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭! The strong engineering culture in Spain particularly struck me.
𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝! Spain is home to energy-intensive industries, including refineries, ammonia, and steel plants. Spain consumes half a million tonnes of grey H2 annually, poised to be replaced by renewable H2.
Of course, it's not all pink and shiny. There are challenges, such as water scarcity, the need to transpose #REDII and III (similar to other EU countries), political sluggishness with pending subsidy programmes.
Yet Spain’s drive is there and it's been a pleasure to sense it!
And so - I'm thrilled to bring back the Connecting Green Hydrogen Europe 2024 Excellence award on behalf of the Atmen team! It’s a wonderful souvenir and a promise to return.
Special thanks to the jury for their attention and insightful questions: Belén Linares Corell from CEPSA, Sebastian Vetter from Equinor Ventures , Nevin Alija from Mulheres na Energia, Vuk Trifkovic from BCG X, and Achmed Junusov from H2UB.
A special shout-out to our cherished partner, H2UB, for making this happen!
