The CEO of Enagás, Arturo Gonzalo, highlighted the important role that Spain can play as a green hydrogen hub to reinforce Europe's strategic autonomy. "We have a spectacular opportunity before us for Spain to play a leading role in Europe's plan to strengthen its security of supply, strategic autonomy, decarbonisation, reindustrialisation of the EU and reposition European industry in terms of competitiveness". This is what he said during his speech at the Generation of Opportunities event organised by Europa Press with McKinsey & Company on 6 May in Madrid and inaugurated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares.
"Spain has everything to be a major supplier of renewable energy and green hydrogen. Firstly, to meet our own needs, and secondly, to contribute to European objectives," he stated. As he pointed out, the results of the first auction of the European Hydrogen Bank confirm Spain's relevant role as a hub for this energy vector, since Spain has had the largest number of projects chosen.
The CEO recalled that the Letta Report, prepared at the request of the European Council by former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta, defends renewable hydrogen and energy infrastructures as key to strengthening European integration. "Energy infrastructures are the basis of competitiveness," he said.
Arturo Gonzalo stressed that the green hydrogen economy will be fundamental, both to strengthen security of supply and to reindustrialise Spain and Europe, with an estimated impact in our country of 32 billion euros of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and some 81,000 jobs, according to a report by PwC and Enagás.
"We can contribute to reindustrialisation and provide opportunities for inland Spain, because this value chain is often located here," he asserted during his participation in the round table "Competitiveness and Security in Strategic Sectors", together with the Senior Partner of McKinsey & Company, Tomás Calleja; the Chairman of Correos, Pedro Saura; the Chairman of Indra, Marc Murtra, and the Director of Management and Institutional Relations of Europa Press, Candela Martín de Cabiedes, as moderator.
