The central government left Spanish industry planted on Wednesday in a debate that was presented as a good opportunity to hear their demands regarding the National Fund for Sustainability of the Electric System, FNSSE. It is a preliminary draft of the law -whose period of allegations concluded recently- that, in order to reduce the electricity consumption bill, distributes the costs between different energy sectors, one of them that of gas. Thus, Gas trading companies could affect this distribution in an extra cost in the price for the final customer, including the industry. A measure that hits full in sectors such as ceramics, highly consumer of gas and whose cost represents around 13.3 percent of the annual bill.
During the conference, which brought together several industrial employers, business confederations and entities from the gas sector, the participation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition was missed, department that is responsible for the preparation of the bill that has alerted the industry and that, in the case of the ceramics, could be translated into a energy surplus of 213 million euros in five years.
Both the Ascer tile employers ‘association and the cogeneration association, Acogen, have already insisted that it is the department directed by Teresa Ribera that is behind the plan but, nevertheless, Transición Ecológica was not present yesterday at the forum’ El role of the Spanish industry in the energy transition ‘, promoted by the Spanish Gas Association, Sedigas. The Ministry of Industry was present, but absent a few minutes after the debate began.
The General Secretary for Industry and Small and Medium Enterprises, under the Ministry led by Reyes Maroto, RaÃŒl Blanco, was the guest ‘of honor’ at the debate. However, after a small intervention, Blanco left the session due to his commitment to the Connected Industry 4.0 awards ceremony. So, the truth is that industry requests could not be discussed with any body dependent on the central executive. In fact, even the White He acknowledged that the FNSSE is not the responsibility of his department, although he did want to send a message of calm to the sectors present. Â «I want to convey calm. It is a draft bill that will have its preparation process and a long journey. Any proposal from the industry to the fund will be well received, “said Blanco. Â € œBoth on my part and on the part of the Secretary of State for Energy I know that there is a will, â € said the Secretary of Industry in reference to the Ecological Transition.
Despite the discomfort generated by the FNSSE in the Spanish ceramic industry – both Ascer and the enamel company ANFFECC have presented allegations, as well as Acogen -, Blanco pointed out that the industry is associated with energy and the presence of energy is central.  «We cannot give up gas, we must find stability, it is necessary, defended Blanco, who pointed out that  «we have many opportunities thanks to the approval of the General Budgets». In fact, Industry has received up to 750 applications for tractor projects in industrial matters to benefit from European funds, proof of  «the great connection with the energy and gas field. These projects will be defined in the second or third quarter.  € œThe vector of energy is key, â € said the secretary, in a webinar that revealed the discontent of all sectors.
THE ENERGY BILL EXCEEDS 13% OF COSTS
The general secretary of Ascer, Alberto EchavarrÃa, participated in the telematic event, who spoke about the specific impact that the fund will have on the profitability of the tile. TO”This draft law sends a negative message to potential foreign investors who were or are interested in the industry. If approved, it would be a good blow for our sector, ”EchavarrÃa lamented. It should be remembered that the energy bill, with a determining weight of gas, exceeds 13 percent of annual costs that supports the ceramic. We do not understand why now we have to pay more for gas and electricity, whose consumption is lower for us,» Ascer’s secretary reiterated.
Besides, the tile pattern, who recalled that the sector exports 75 percent of its annual turnover, lamented that  «we pay the most expensive gas in Europe ». We are already starting from a bad position and if we start paying more now without receiving anything in return, everything will get worse. We are going to lose competitiveness, ”EchavarrÃa warned. And the fact is that the FNSSE, if it enters into force, will mean an increase in the energy bill of 14 percent in five years for the tile, leaving an extra cost of up to 213 million euros in five years, figure which is equivalent to the annual profit of the sector.
In the same way, Ascer considered that the exemption should be total for all sectors. TO”We do not believe that they only have to exempt those of us who export the most, that would be a comparative offense., defended the secretary general. However, EchavarrÃa did ask the European Commission to exempt from taxes and charges those operations that are subscribed abroad. Â «The problem is that the European Commission does not take into account what happens outside, only what happens inside the countries that are part of it. We claim, for example, exemptions in the payment of CO2 also when it happens outside the European Union, EchavarrÃa added.
The FNSSE would reduce the cost of electricity but we ended up paying it ourselves. The Government says that we have that the industry has a certain weight in the economic recovery, but then we find measures like these. They are only complicating things for us, ”criticized the representative of the tile employer. TO”We are not against a more environmental energy policy, but we will join when it really exists.EchavarrÃa defended, alluding to the government’s ‘punishment’ of the industry.
COGENERATION IS VITAL FOR DECARBONZATION
For Ascer’s general secretary, the FNSSE is â € œone more nail in the coffin of the industryâ €, while regretting that The Government and the European Commission are sending messages that the industry is annoying. We ask that they not punish us any more..
The general director of Acogen, Javier RodrÃguez, also participated in the seminar. The Government should transmit confidence in the industry, not only on the part of the Ministry of Industry, but also Transition Ecology, insisted RodrÃguez, defending that cogeneration is perfect to move towards decarbonization, as the Government wants». In the FNSSE it is necessary to include improvements for the industry. We need more transparency and expansion to assess the burdens that it will entail, ”said RodrÃguez. Cogenerators already contribute with taxes and purchase of emission rights to this decarbonization process that the Government wants and, therefore, we ask that we not be discriminated against, concluyó.
The gas sector denounces the uncertainty
Both the Spanish Gas Association, Sedigaslike the lobby GasIndustrial This Wednesday they supported the industrial sectors in their criticism of the National Fund for the Sustainability of the Electric System, FNSSE. The president of Sedigas, Joan Batalla, considered that the economic impact that Covid-19 has left on the industry is “remarkable.”  «If an industrial policy has always been necessary, now even more». We are committed to decarbonisation but it is true that the FNSSE is concerned about gas prices, “acknowledged Batalla, who considered that” the relevance of gas consumption is a key aspect for the competitiveness of the sector. ” For her part, the president of GasIndustrial, Verónica RiviÚre, regretted the  «Christmas gift» that was the announcement of the bill.  «By reading the explanatory statement we agreed with all of them, such as reducing the price of electricity, working for certainty and sustainability, etc. But then we were surprised, â € the expert lamented. TO”We do not know what the compensation will be and even if there is, we do not know if it will be the minimum or the maximum, 85 percent.RiviÚre argued, insisting that â € œThere is a lot of uncertainty. On the gas side, the national energy surcharge in five years would be 3,500 million. Few signals are being sent to encourage decarbonization. Why am I going to be electrified if afterwards the price of consumption is going to rise? he asked.
The day included the representation of a wide range of industrial employers; from energy marketers such as Cepsa, Naturgy or Iberdrola and from business confederations, such as the CEOE or the CEV
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