The need for proper network management as a means to achieve the electrification of the economy is a demand increasingly arising from more sectors. Last week, we highlighted the agreement between PSC, Junts, Comuns, and PP to promote a plan for investments in power transmission and distribution networks in the Catalonian Parliament, as well as the interest of SMEs and industrial parks in having closed distribution networks with access to the general network to boost energy communities.
This week, the cogeneration sector has joined this vision. At the recently held XX Annual Cogeneration Congress, sector representatives pointed out the synergies between cogeneration and networks for industrial energy management, and the role this technology can play in achieving the goal of decarbonizing industry.
Specifically, Siemens Energy’s responsible, Anders Stuxberg, emphasized both the need for a power grid with sufficient capacity and how cogeneration can contribute to optimizing these grids by requiring less transmission capacity. He believes cogeneration helps strengthen the networks and reduce their losses, which can contribute to the electrification of the economy, particularly due to its flexibility.
In this regard, Raimon Argemi, General Director of AESA, affirms that “flexible cogeneration will promote electrification and help stabilize electricity markets,” fostering electric demand when there is a surplus in the system and supplying energy when the system needs it. This market stabilization will encourage investment in renewable generation systems.
The “refoundation” of cogeneration: putting industry back at the center
Among the interventions during the Congress, the closing remarks of Antonio Cortés, CEO and founder of Grupo Empresarial Neoelectra, were particularly relevant to the industrial sector. He reminded everyone of the importance of “putting industry at the center, regardless of whether part of our generated energy is sent to the grid.” Pablo García, Vice President of Cogen España, echoed this idea, emphasizing that “the primary goal of cogeneration is to support and assist the industrial sector, which is a driving force of the Spanish economy.”