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29 Jun 2018
Technology
The Basque Energy Cluster held its General Assembly meeting for 2018 in the Bizkaia Technology Park, weighing up 2017 that was positive on the whole. Another year on, the key for Basque companies in the energy sector has been the growing development of investment in renewable energy in most international markets and our companies’ good competitive positioning in these markets. On a less encouraging note, difficulties were raised among Oil&Gas sector supplier companies, whose investments have continued to suffer due to the low price of oil.
The Energy Cluster currently has 168 members. Worldwide, the sector turns over around €57,000M and in the Basque Country, it employs over 22,000 people. After approving the 2017 accounts and the 2018 Management Plan, the Cluster Assembly chose a new Executive Board to be presided over by IDOM, specifically by its President Luis Rodríguez Llopis. The Assembly paid homage to the out-going President, Jose Javier Arteche, thanking him for his long career in the sector and his work as President over the last few years.
The Managing Director of the Basque Energy Cluster, José Ignacio Hormaeche, talked about the 42 Basque companies in the energy sector that work directly with 67 countries. In order to support these companies (particularly the SMEs) and make it easier to contact the relevant actors, the Basque Energy Cluster ran intense internationalisation activities in 2017, organising 9 business assignments to countries identified as a priority for the different value chains (Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Morocco, France, the Netherlands, Germany).
In addition, it highlighted their capacity for innovation to adapt to specific requirements and agile service as their main competitive assets internationally. This technological capability was reflected in the €260M invested in R&D in the Basque Country in 2017 and in the different collaborative projects and strategic initiatives within the Cluster.
The guest speaker at the Assembly meeting was Mark Johnson, former Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) in the Area of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) for the United States Department of Energy (DoE) with the Obama Administration (2013-2017). He was recently appointed Director of the “Center for Advanced Manufacturing” at Clemson University (North Carolina). As he has in-depth knowledge on technological development in the energy sector and was responsible for public policies supporting renewable energies under the Obama Presidency, Johnson highlighted the importance of digitalisation both in manufacturing processes and when operating and maintaining energy assets and he expressed his confidence that the United States would continue backing investments in renewable generation and in modernising and digitalising electricity infrastructures.
Hormaeche presented encouraging forecasts for 2018, in a context where investments in renewable generation and electricity infrastructures will continue growing worldwide. On the other hand, the recent upturn in oil prices improves expectations for Oil&Gas sector supplier companies with a possible increase of investments in new resources in 2018.
The energy auctions held in different regions of the world (Northern Europe, India, Latin America, some states in the USA) might suggest significant growth in new renewable power generation plants, mainly wind and photovoltaic solar power. Although the impact will be positive in terms of market volume, the low adjudication prices in these auctions are already putting immense pressure on costs and margins and causing ferocious competition throughout the value chain. As for electricity grids, one of the most important sectors for Basque industry, the unstoppable trends regarding electrification of consumption and digitalisation of the actual grid (“Smart Grids”) will also lead to new investments in electricity transport and distribution.
Regarding the situation of the electrical market in Spain, the most relevant news in 2017 was the adjudication of 4,128 MW of wind power and 3,909 MW in photovoltaic in the auctions that the Spanish Government held during 2017, that can generate opportunities for many Basque companies over the next 2 years.
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Cluster Activities
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