REN present at international conference on hydrogen

João Conceição, Executive Director at REN - Redes Energéticas Nacionais, argued today, in Madrid, that 'a strong investment is needed in the generation of renewable energy, in order to enable a sustainable hydrogen market', and touched on the 'importance of blending (a mix of hydrogen with natural gas) to allow for a gradual and sustainable introduction of hydrogen in the energy matrix'.

João Faria Conceição was the only Portuguese guest speaker in Hydrogen Day, an international conference about green hydrogen and the challenges of decarbonisation, hosted by Spanish company Enagás. The event was attended by the Spanish Minister of Energy, Teresa Ribera, and by the German Secretary of State for Climate Matters and Climate Action, Franziska Brantner, in addition to representatives from the most diverse hydrogen-related governmental and private entities.

REN's director participated in the panel about the 'European Framework for Renewable Hydrogen' with the Director General of Energy and Energy Policy of Spain, Cristina Lobillo, and Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe, a European association that represents the interests of the hydrogen industry and its stakeholders. The panel was moderated by the CEO of Enagás, Arturo Gonzalo.

João Conceição also noted the need to define ahead of time and clearly the business models for the hydrogen market, as well as the urgency in safeguarding the supply of equipment and raw materials, thus avoiding having supply chains depleted by operators from competing geographies. He also added that 'hydrogen has an unavoidable role in the decarbonisation policies and the path to its inclusion in the energy matrix is already irrevocable'.

The Hydrogen Day conference was hosted by Enagás, the Spanish company that owns and operates the country's gas network.