May 30, 2025

On June 4 at 3:00 p.m., in the Serveo Room at La Farga trade fair center in L’Hospitalet (Barcelona), within the framework of Net Zero Tech 2025, Foro Industria y Energía will organize and moderate the round table “Renewable alternatives for hard-to-electrify industrial processes.” It will be a conversation with companies that didn’t wait for a perfect solution: they acted with the technologies available, took calculated risks, and proved that “hard to electrify” does not mean “impossible to decarbonize.” In sectors where direct electrification faces technical or economic limitations, it’s urgent to expand the range of real, efficient, and applicable options.

In this discussion, three Catalan companies will share their experience, each having followed different paths toward the same goal. Roca, with a progressive and planned electrification strategy even in energy-intensive thermal processes; Alier, which has made biomass the cornerstone of its circular economy policy; and Nedgia, which promotes biomethane as a ready-to-use solution for decarbonization without operational disruption. Far from competing with each other, these strategies converge in a shared vision: building a more diversified, resilient, and sustainable industrial energy system.

The recent blackout on April 28 has intensified the urgency of the debate on energy resilience and diversification. In this context, the goal of the round table is not to resolve the debate—nor could it—but to open up a line of thought that helps companies navigate, make informed decisions, and discover the range of available alternatives. Because when we talk about hard-to-electrify industries, we’re not talking about a single path. We’re talking about strategic decisions that must adapt to each process, environment, and challenge.

Faced with difficult electrification, more electrification: the case of Roca

In the ceramic industry, electrification seemed until recently like a pipe dream. Kilns requiring 1,300 degrees, energy-intensive thermal processes, and a historic dependence on natural gas made it seem like a dead end. However, Roca has demonstrated that even where it seems hardest, electrifying more can be part of the solution. “Almost anything is possible. And the first thing you need is a roadmap,” says Carlos Velázquez, Director of Sustainability and Institutional Relations at Roca. The process began with comprehensive sensorization of the plants to identify energy consumption and emissions. That information was integrated into kaizen continuous improvement committees, which allowed for a cross-cutting energy efficiency strategy before tackling electrification.

Based on this diagnosis, Roca launched a phased strategy: first reducing consumption, then electrifying the more accessible processes, and finally taking on the more complex ones, such as tunnel kilns. Today, some of its porcelain plants already operate with net-zero emissions, thanks to a combination of direct electrification, solar self-consumption, and renewable electricity purchase agreements (PPAs).

Beyond environmental benefits, decarbonization has opened the doors to what Velázquez calls “the Champions League,” enabling partnerships with top-tier developers, architects, and hotel chains seeking sustainable collaborators. It has also delivered significant operational savings, reducing costs associated with emissions rights (ETS) and tariffs, and improving the company’s economic competitiveness.

However, the leap to electrification isn’t without risk. Velázquez warns of a major threat: inadequate electrical infrastructure. “The European grid isn’t strong enough for the massive electrification we aim to achieve. That puts us at risk.” The April 28 blackout proved the point: factories shut down, kilns stalled, production lost. “And restarting takes a lot of effort.” For Velázquez, the blackout served as a “wake-up call” for institutions: electrification needs institutional support and reliable infrastructure to be a real alternative.

98% reduction in Scope 1 emissions thanks to biomass: Alier’s bold move

Paper company Alier made a strategic decision in 2021 to change its energy matrix, replacing gas cogeneration with a biomass boiler, which began operating in 2024. The change was neither immediate nor simple. Adapting the technology, managing supply logistics, and synchronizing the new system’s rhythm with the production process required ongoing adjustments. But the effort has paid off.

“The impact has been huge. We’ve gone from consuming nearly 50,000 MWh/month of gas to an average of 1,000 in recent months, and we’re heading toward zero,” says Manuel Fernández, Energy Manager at Alier. This has led to a drastic reduction in the product’s carbon footprint and positions the company to offer recycled paper produced entirely with renewable energy.

Biomass also brings added value in terms of energy resilience. Following the blackout, Alier is working to adapt its biomass-powered steam turbine so it can maintain essential plant services during potential power outages. “I think the key lies in diversification, and biomass will play a crucial role in building stronger electrical systems,” Fernández concludes.

However, this type of solution still has a long road ahead. In Catalonia, only 25% of the available biomass potential is currently used, and Alier represents just 2% of that total. This highlights an underutilized opportunity for the broader industrial sector. Moving forward in this direction makes sense not only environmentally, but also operationally and financially in the medium term.

Biomethane: a mature, key solution for decarbonizing without changing equipment – Nedgia’s perspective

What if you don’t want to abandon an infrastructure that still has usable life? For Ignacio Cabané, Head of Renewable Gas Network Connections at Nedgia, biomethane represents a real, efficient, and available alternative. “Biomethane is already a reality. And industry can decarbonize without investing in equipment upgrades,” he says. Its key advantage is precisely that: it can be injected into the existing natural gas network without modifying consumption systems.

The value proposition of biomethane goes beyond compatibility with current infrastructure. Its production technology is mature, and investments are profitable even without public subsidies, making it a solid alternative for companies that can’t afford downtime or experimental technologies. Moreover, industries can acquire sustainability certificates and Guarantees of Origin, certifying their use of renewable energy.

Compared to other carbon-neutral solutions, biomethane stands out as a locally produced fuel source, with high supply security and competitive costs. “Industry would use a locally produced fuel source, with high supply security and at a more competitive price than other carbon-neutral alternatives,” summarizes Cabané. This approach reduces energy dependence and enhances the resilience of industrial processes.

The recent blackout further underscores the value of this solution. Although, according to Cabané, “it can’t be attributed to a single cause,” it clearly highlights the vulnerability of a decarbonized electricity system still facing major challenges in generation, storage, and distribution. In contrast, the gas network offers storage capacity, robustness, and room for growth without major additional investment. His conclusion is clear: “If we want to decarbonize, we must do so while maintaining competitiveness, supply security, and energy independence.”

Three paths, one direction

Industrial decarbonization requires technical and strategic solutions tailored to each reality. Electrification is one of the main routes, but it’s not the only one. Technologies such as biomass and biomethane offer complementary alternatives, especially valuable in sectors where full electrification is complex. The round table moderated by Foro Industria y Energía at Net Zero Tech 2025 aims precisely to offer a broad, well-founded, and useful vision for companies facing energy transition decisions.

The cases of Roca, Alier, and Nedgia illustrate three different ways to move toward the same goal: a cleaner, more competitive, and more resilient industry. From the progressive electrification of thermal processes, to energy recovery from waste or the integration of renewable gases into existing infrastructure, these experiences don’t compete—they reinforce each other to show that there are multiple viable routes to the same destination.

On June 4, these three strategies will converge in a debate that doesn’t aim to impose one-size-fits-all solutions, but to open up a range of real and feasible options. Because beyond choosing among technologies, the fundamental goal is to build a framework that allows each industry to find its best-fit alternative, at the right time, under the right conditions, toward effective and sustainable decarbonization.