Letter of the President
Letter of introduction to the Annual Report - 2008
It is with great pleasure that Sedigas, the Spanish Gas Association, once again presents its Annual Report, for 2008, setting out the key figures from the energy field in, and gas in particular, both nationally and internationally.
The year was dominated by the conclusion, on 1 July, of the gas spanish sector liberalization process which began in 1998. The general process earned the praise of the European Union, along with a statement that Spain had set the model for other countries to follow.
The key figures in this report reveal a positive year, with growth in demand of 10%, backed up by the successful operation of combined cycle power plants. The shortage of water energy to generate electricity during the first third of the year had a key impact on this increase.
One aspect I would like to highlight from 2008 is the positioning of natural gas as the ideal complement for renewable energy sources. Although the sector is now fully attuned to this concept, within the broader context we now find that natural gas is seen as the backup fuel in the event of climatic circumstances which have an inevitable impact on renewable operations.
As revealed by this report, Spain is now in fifth place in Europe in terms of gas consumption, behind the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and France, and at the same level as the Netherlands. It also remains one of the most diversified markets, receiving gas from 10 different sources.
This last factor, along with Spanish legislation supporting diversification by establishing that a maximum quota of 50% of natural gas may be sourced from one single country, represent two key aspects which safeguarded Spain from the crisis suffered in Europe as a result of the suspension of Russian gas supplies in early 2009.
Lastly, I should like to emphasise the investment efforts made by the energy sector during 2008, required in order to guarantee security of supply in Spain.
In short, I trust that the information presented in this report will provide you with a useful image of our sector, its characteristics, and the potential path which lies ahead.
The year was dominated by the conclusion, on 1 July, of the gas spanish sector liberalization process which began in 1998. The general process earned the praise of the European Union, along with a statement that Spain had set the model for other countries to follow.
The key figures in this report reveal a positive year, with growth in demand of 10%, backed up by the successful operation of combined cycle power plants. The shortage of water energy to generate electricity during the first third of the year had a key impact on this increase.
One aspect I would like to highlight from 2008 is the positioning of natural gas as the ideal complement for renewable energy sources. Although the sector is now fully attuned to this concept, within the broader context we now find that natural gas is seen as the backup fuel in the event of climatic circumstances which have an inevitable impact on renewable operations.
As revealed by this report, Spain is now in fifth place in Europe in terms of gas consumption, behind the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and France, and at the same level as the Netherlands. It also remains one of the most diversified markets, receiving gas from 10 different sources.
This last factor, along with Spanish legislation supporting diversification by establishing that a maximum quota of 50% of natural gas may be sourced from one single country, represent two key aspects which safeguarded Spain from the crisis suffered in Europe as a result of the suspension of Russian gas supplies in early 2009.
Lastly, I should like to emphasise the investment efforts made by the energy sector during 2008, required in order to guarantee security of supply in Spain.
In short, I trust that the information presented in this report will provide you with a useful image of our sector, its characteristics, and the potential path which lies ahead.
Antoni Peris
Annual Report 2.008: Sedigas - The Spanish Gas Association