Repsol Foundation and the APD analyze the challenges of the energy transition in the Canary Islands 

• Repsol Foundation and the Association for the Progress of Management (APD), together with the Government of the Canary Islands, analyze the challenges and opportunities to accelerate the energy transition and the decarbonization of the islands, in an event where the president of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and Repsol Chairman, Antonio Brufau, among others, attended.

• The Chairman of the multi-energy company highlighted the alignment of the islands' decarbonization objectives and Repsol's goals of contributing to decarbonized mobility (air, land, and sea) through renewable fuels and a diverse energy mix, taking advantage of indigenous resources.

• Brufau pointed out the need for precise measures, such as those being carried out by the Government of the Canary Islands, fostering emissions reduction goals the competitiveness of the production sectors and tourism of the archipelago. 

• Experts highlighted the role of renewable fuels — net zero emissions fuels, produced from organic waste — to decarbonize air and maritime transport on the islands.

The Canary Islands will be hosting a conference today and tomorrow, where experts from different fields will meet to discuss the opportunities and challenges of the energy transition on the islands for companies and Canarian society, with the ultimate goal of achieving net zero emissions.

The first day, which will take place in Las Palmas, will address the decarbonization of land, air, and maritime mobility. The second session, in Tenerife, will revolve around the sustainability of the tourism sector and renewable generation.

These meetings are part of Open Room, Repsol Foundation's digital space focused on promoting knowledge and rigorous debate about the keys to the energy transition. 

The president of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, took part in the opening of these sessions, organized by the Repsol Foundation alongside the Association for the Progress of Management (APD); Repsol chairman, Antonio Brufau; the president of the Association for the Progress of Management (APD), Germán Suárez, and the president of the Canarian Confederation of Entrepreneurs, Pedro Ortega.

Repsol chairman, Antonio Brufau, highlighted in his speech the alignment of the objectives of Repsol and the Government of the Canary Islands, as both are committed to decarbonizing and achieving zero net emissions. He also has pointed out the need to implement similar measures to those carried out by the Government of the Canary Islands to foster technologies that ensure the emissions reduction objectives and the competitiveness of the production sectors in general and specifically tourism.

As such, the Sustainable Energy Strategy laid out by the Government of the Canary Islands provides for actions in different important areas, in order to move towards a fair energy transition. In addition to driving the change towards an efficiency-based energy model, sustainable mobility, renewable fuels playing a key role, and complemented by the introduction of new technologies that allow for the expansion of the use of renewable energies.

Germán Suárez, stated that “the energy transition and decarbonization is absolutely necessary and an obligation and responsibility that we to our future generations, and we cannot give an inch. But the milestones we've set, the start dates, and the green rates and taxes that are being designed are not in line with the stubborn reality that we are going to face along the way.” 

The president of the Canarian Confederation of Entrepreneurs, Pedro Ortega, said that “we have benchmark R&D&i centers, a business sector that's ready, a huge amount of experience, a privileged location, and optimal natural conditions; we therefore have the necessary capacity to take advantage of all the opportunities that challenges the energy transition in the Canary Islands is throws at us. We must do so guaranteeing electricity supply; we must urgently correct the very serious current energy shortage. We have two main challenges, on the one hand, achieving a significant increase in the coverage of renewable energy demand and on the other, the decarbonization of transportation.” 

The president of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, recognized the importance of the forum promoted by the Repsol Foundation and the APD, and highlighted the Government's objectives linked to the decarbonization of transportation. “We are aware that it is a key issue for meeting the emissions reduction targets, and we will always support an objective that has a broad public consensus in our society, but

always taking into account that the European roadmap that has been defined must have a specific timeframe with the more remote regions.”

The “Canary Islands: Opportunities and Challenges of the Energy Transition” conference will take place today and tomorrow on the islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife, respectively. They have the support of the Government of the Canary Islands, the Chambers of Commerce of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. 

Experts from various companies are taking part in these sessions to share their vision on the key levers and technologies necessary to address the decarbonization of mobility and the autonomous community's most important economic sectors. 

During today's session, the speakers discussed the relevance of the mobility sector in the archipelago and the importance of its decarbonization. That is why they addressed technological and commercial alternatives to reduce emissions efficiently in the air, land, and maritime transport sectors.

They all agreed that renewable fuels essential in the decarbonizing process of mobility on the islands, especially air and maritime transport, and that they will play a key role in creating new value chains and quality employment. 

These types of fuels are the fastest way to reduce emissions in all transportation areas, especially those where electrification is not a viable alternative at present. Furthermore, they are already available on the market and have similar properties to conventional ones, so they can be used in modern engines without the need for any type of modification. Currently, over 10% of the fuel supplied at our service stations is renewable-based.

Manuel Domínguez, vice president and Minister of Economy, Industry, Commerce and the Self-employed of the Government of the Canary Islands, was in charge of closing the first session of the meetings. He thanked the organizers for holding this type of meetings because “the only way the Canary Islands can move towards an efficient and sustainable energy model if the public and private sectors work together.” He assured us that "a decent energy policy requires dialogue between civil servants, economic agents, and society as a whole.” “The decarbonization of the economy cannot leave anyone behind.”

The conference will continue tomorrow, in Tenerife. Throughout the session, the sustainability of the Canarian tourism sector will be addressed, which represents approximately 35% of the Autonomous Community's GDP, and must promote a low-carbon energy transition plan. 

In addition, the role of renewable energies in the Islands' independence and security in terms of energy will be discussed, being sure to exploit local resources to make it less dependent on external supplies.

The Repsol Foundation, within the framework of its activities, also contemplates the possibility of jointly developing other projects with the Government of the Canary Islands, such as large-scale reforestation on the islands to recover biodiversity in areas devastated by the fires. This activity could have a significant impact on the training and generation of hundreds of new jobs in rural areas on the islands, and would be developed within the Green Engine framework, the largest reforestation project on the Iberian Peninsula, promoted jointly by the Repsol Foundation, Sylvestris, and Hispasat.

Repsol in the Canary Islands

The multi-energy company has been present in the Canary Islands for over seven years with its main commercial businesses (service stations, LPG, lubricants, electric charging and aviation, as well as electricity marketing).

Repsol has over 300,000 customers in the archipelago, supplying them with products and services and with an investment of 3 million euros each year in improving and renovating its assets on the islands. In addition, it generates more than 160 direct and 500 indirect jobs. 

About Repsol Foundation

The Repsol Foundation implements projects focused on the energy transition and society to help create a more sustainable future, carrying out its strategy in four lines of action:

• Investment in companies and sectors within the new low-carbon economy that strive for a sustainable and inclusive energy transition, generating a three-fold positive impact: environmentally, socially, and economically.

• A business accelerator to support innovative technology-based solutions in energy and mobility.

• Spreading knowledge about the energy transition through the Open Room digital platform, a network of Energy Transition Chairs at prestigious universities and Zinkers, its digital educational program for primary and secondary schools to raise awareness among young people about the challenges of the future of energy.

• Promoting social and volunteering projects related to the energy transition and climate change, which drive social development.

About the APD

The Association for the Progress of Management (APD) is an independent, non-profit organization whose main goal is to create stable and rigorous environments in terms of

networking, training, management development, and the exchange of ideas and experiences. It is far removed from any political approach or anything that represents the defense of corporate and professional interests. 

APD Canarias was founded in 2004, together with the most representative companies of the archipelago. From the very beginning, the aim was to promote the establishment of a business and social consciousness, where the Canary Islands were considered a single space. By complying with its mission and purpose, it organizes various annual conferences and meetings with the aim of bringing current knowledge to its associates.