Sedigas - Annual Report 2.010

Energy in Spain > Environmental Aspects

Environmental Aspects

While in 2009 and 2010 a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in Spain was noted, such emissions were expected to rise in 2011. The main cause is the noticeable increase in coal consumption.

This distances Spain somewhat from complying with its Kyoto Protocol commitment, which states that emissions may only increase 15% in 2012 with respect to figures noted in 1990.

In 2011, the Joint Committee for the Study of Climate Change of the Spanish Parliament was opened. It submitted its report in September with over 100 proposals, having taken over 2 years to complete. Dozens of agents and experts were involved in the report, which included all the energy and climate change initiatives and action plans operating in Spain and internationally.

In April, the Government approved the new objectives of the presence of biofuel in automotive end-use consumption for the following years. The overall presence of biofuel reached 6.2% at the end of 2011, and will increase from 6% to 6.5% in 2012, and from 6.1% to 6.55% in 2013.

The 2011–2020 Renewable Energy Plan (PER) and the Environmental Sustainability Report (ISA) were involved in a public disclosure and enquiries process until 19 September 2011. Their objectives with regard to renewable energy are included in the document for the 2012–2020 Gas and Electricity Sectors Plan.

The approval of the 2011–2020 Indicative Energy Plan and the Renewable Energy Plan (PER), as agreed by the Council of Ministers on 11 November 2011, indicates the path that Spain should follow to exceed the EU objective of ensuring that 20% of energy consumption should come from renewable sources by 2020.
The Indicative Energy Plan considers that end-use energy consumption in 2020 will only be slightly higher than current amounts, with a structure that underlines the increase of the weight of electricity, gas and renewables for end use, offset by the significant decrease in petroleum product consumption.

Through these estimations, a substantial increase in the weight of renewable energy within the demand mix is expected, which will jump from a contribution of 13.25% in 2010 to 20.8% in 2020 according to the PER, and it will not be necessary to expand power plants, including combined cycles.

Some specialists indicate that if this plan is followed, significant extra costs would be involved due, in part, to the support of more expensive technology such as solar thermal or photovoltaic energy.

In the automotive field, it is indicated that electric vehicle sales in 2011 up to the beginning of December rose in Spain to 314 units, and hybrid car sales to 9,427, below objectives.

Vehicles running on natural gas rose to 3,176 units at the end of 2011.

Sedigas

Annual Report 2.010: Sedigas - The Spanish Gas Association