(Digital Magazine elEconomist Basque Country) Jose Ignacio Hormaeche during the interview explains some future challenges of the Basque Energy Cluster, such as the design of the new strategic plan 2019-2022 and the maintenance of the multinational driving capacity such as Iberdrola and Siemens-Gamesa within the Basque sector. “We count on international leaders, therefore we have to take advantage of it. Our approach as a Cluster is to proportionate good reasons for these types of companies, so that these international companies will rely on the Basque industry and all of that just can be achieved with a competitive territory and competitive companies.

The opening of the event, which was held on 24th January 2019 in the Auditorium on the Bizkaia Technology Park (Zamudio) from 9am to 1.45pm, was presided over by the Basque Government's Deputy Minister for Technology and Innovation, Estíbaliz Hernáez. In addition to presenting the results obtained by the Hazitek SecureGrid project in the three years since it was launched, it was attended by Asier Martínez, Head of CSIRT Services at the Basque CyberSecurity Centre (BCSC), and representatives of leading electricity grid operators, such as Red Eléctrica de España (REE), Iberdrola, EDP and Endesa.

During 27-28 November, the Basque Energy Cluster participated as an exhibitor at the Go Mobility Fair in Ficoba to highlight the projects and activities promoted by the Cluster in the electric mobility sector in the field of energy. It is the first edition of the Sustainable Mobility and Energy Storage Industry fair and it is promoted by the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, framed within the Electric Mobility Strategy that is being fostered by the same institution.

(DEIA – Report by I. Ugarte) In order to address some of the energy challenges of the country and concrete the key points in the process towards a greater amount of renewables in the energy mix, DEIA invited the 'Renewable Energy Experts': Iñigo Ansola, General Director of the Basque Energy Agency, Julio Castro, Director of Global Services of Iberdrola Renovables, David Solé, Director of the Energy Division of Ingeteam Power Technology, Joseba Anasagasti, Director of Exploitation and Operations of Giroa- Veolia and José Ignacio Hormaeche, Director of the Basque Energy Cluster, who was in charge of moderating the meeting.

The latest issue of Wind Energy Network magazine, in partnership with the Basque Energy Cluster, has published a special report on the Basque wind power sector, focusing on the companies and organisations that make up the "Wind Energy Basque Country" brand (pages 56-57).

The lab is partly funded by the Basque Government and enables testing of new materials and solutions against corrosion, ageing and fouling in the marine environment, in real conditions that are monitored on site. It meets the specific needs of Basque companies that want to increase their offshore energy business. Companies such as Erreka, Credeblug, Ditrel, Navacel, Tubacex, Vicinay, Nem Solutions and Sasyma Coatings will be the first to test their solutions, as part of an initiative promoted by the Basque Energy Cluster.

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 tender is divided into two phases. The first is aimed at the selection of promoters and developers interested in participating in the initiative and the exhibition of the demonstrator projects. The second phase, planned for the end of September, will focus on the proposal of innovative solutions by the value chain.

With the aim of showing the international press the capabilities of the Basque wind power sector throughout the entire value chain, on Friday, 20 April a group of reporters working with Borsen (Denmark), Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany), Agence France Presse, Nikkei and Polska Agencja Prasowa, amongst others, visited WINDBOX, the first Wind Power Advanced Manufacturing Centre of the Basque Country, located in the facilities of IK4-Tekniker in Eibar.