“Catalonia, there is no time to lose. We cannot wait another decade to implement them renewable energies». That’s how forceful it was yesterday Jaume Morronrenewable energy consultant and co-author ofSovereign Energy alongside Ramon Tremosa, during his participation in the Conference on Renewable Energies and Sovereignty, organized in Girona by Eurosolar (European Association for Renewable Energies – Catalonia Section) and which had the participation of Catalan and international experts. The event, held in the Josep Irla auditorium of the Generalitat, also had the support of the Office of Quim Torra.
In a forceful intervention, Morron warned that Catalonia “has no time to waste” in the implementation of renewable energies. “We cannot afford another decade to pass,” he warned. Morron admitted that territorial planning is necessary, a process that can take “years”, but he warned that “we cannot stand still while this planning lasts”.
That is why, from his point of view, all projects would have to be authorized and launched that are planned in Catalonia, but above all, to put the “big stones” first: that is, to push ahead with the biggest projects to ensure that a greater production of renewable energy is reached sooner. “There are also small projects, such as the installation of photovoltaic panels on the roofs, and they must go ahead; but above all it is necessary to make them come true big projects to achieve a faster achievement of the objectives”, he pointed out. That’s why Morron showed himself as a strong supporter of marine wind energyincluding the park that is projected in front of the Cap de Creus. “This project must go ahead, because it will allow us to advance more quickly towards the objectives”, he stressed. On the other hand, Morron emphasized the economic investment which will involve the deployment of this type of energy, as well as the generation of employment and income for the territory. “These are facilities that have a lifespan of around 30 years, so those that are put into operation in 2050 will be generating income for the town councils until 2080,” he said.
“We need to plan, but this can take years and in the meantime we can’t stand still,” warned Morron
Morron pointed out that the road map for the production of renewables in Catalonia already exists: the PROENCAT 2050, which raises the need to establish strategies to achieve an energy model based 100% on renewable energies in 2050. Now, what is needed “is to execute it”, he warned, “and not wait a decade, but do it immediately”. And to do that, he warned, it will be necessary to “put machines in the garden”: that is, install windmills and photovoltaic panels, among others.
For this expert, the transition from fossil and nuclear energy to renewables is not only essential, if not inevitable. “The fossil and radioactive system is unsupportive and selfish, since it is based on exploiting other territories, while the renewable system is supportive, because it uses its own resources and does not rob others,” he explained. But the transition will not be easy, he indicated, since Catalonia is currently a fossil (78%) and nuclear (13%) country, where the maximum that has been achieved to take advantage of natural resources is through hydroelectric plants built over generations back.
So, Morron warned that there is a lot of work to be done if you want to get to the goal of 100% by 2050 and, previously, 50% in 2030, as established. A path that, as he indicated, began in 2017 with the approval of the Catalan law on climate change, which was pioneering and was approved before Spain and Europe, he recalled. It was thanks to this legal framework that the renewable energy decree-law of 2019, which was subsequently modified, with the aim of being able to approach the objectives set for 2030 and 2050.
Now, however, he considers that we are at a key moment to continue moving forward. “A decrease is necessary; stop consuming fossil and radioactive resources and start using the natural resources we have at home, such as the sun, wind and water, which are our own and indigenous”, he pointed out.
The expert points out that, if energy sovereignty is not achieved, it will have to be imported from Aragon
In order to be able to develop this transition, Morron put Estonia as a model to defend that as many projects as possible should be developed, “small and large”, but he also emphasized that it must be done in an integrated way in the landscape and respecting the regulations. “It is necessary to comply with the legislation in force, which is also very strict in the case of Catalonia”, he indicated.
The risks of being left behind
As he warned, the cost of not making this clear commitment to renewables will be very high. The first will be that, if Catalonia does not achieve energy sovereignty, it will have to dimport from other territories. “Aragon is already looking at Catalonia as a big cake to devour. The energy demand is there, now we have to decide if we want to cover it or not”, he pointed out. In the event that it is necessary to end up bringing the energy from Aragon, Morron warned that the territory may end up being further cut through very high voltage lines to transport energy from the neighboring community “that have not been never seen until now in Spain”.
In addition, he also highlighted that the economic and business fabric Catalan could not benefit from the generation of this energy, which would also be wind and solar. Beyond energy sovereignty, Morron also emphasized that in 2030 the Spanish Government will close the three nuclear reactors in Catalonia, and that then it will be essential to have new sources of energy if we do not want to have to extend their useful lives.
Before Morron’s intervention, several experts Europeans explained theirs experiences with renewable energies in their respective countries. Thus, the initial conference was given by Peter Droege, president of Eurosolar, and later Soren Hermansen spoke about the development of renewables in Denmark and Mark Richardson explained the current situation in Scotland.
After lunch, a round table was held on Research and startups with Joan Ramon Morante (IREC director), Climent Molins (UPC vice-chancellor), Jordi Puigcorbé (Eolos), Alex Raventós (X1 Wind) and Albert Bosch ( Vortex). He closed day one roundtable on the development of marine wind energy in Catalonia, which is one of the issues that has generated the most controversy in the territory. This morning, and until noon, the conference will continue in the same Irla auditorium with three new round tables.
Today’s meeting: Citizen participation, economy and industry
The Renewable Energies and Sovereignty conference will continue this morning at the Irla Auditorium of the Generalitat. In the first hour there will be a round table on Ecology, energy and sovereignty, while in the second place a table will be held on the role of citizen participation in the generation of renewables, which will be attended by representatives of Som Energia or Iaeden , among others. Afterwards there will be a third table on the economy and industry of renewables.