The 4th International Congress of the Industry for the Energy Transition, CITE25, organized by Enercluster with the special collaboration of the Government of Navarre, made Pamplona the European capital of renewable energy this Thursday. Players linked to this industry, totaling more than 400 guests, gathered at the Baluarte Congress Center and Auditorium of Navarre, where they shared the solutions and proposals they believe are necessary to increase their level of autonomy and competitiveness.
CITE25 was sponsored, on this occasion, by Acciona Energía, Nordex Group, and Inge team, as TERApartners; Grupo Enhol, Laulagun Bearings, Nabrawind, Repsol, and Sakana Group, as GIGApartners; along with ARENA, ARPA Abogados Consultores, Array, Industrial Barranquesa, Beeplanet, EDP Renewables, Elektra, EnergyLoop, EOSOL, IED, Grupo Inerzia, Leadernet, Renercycle, Ríos Renovables, Rose Holm, SIG, Sta tkraft, and Urgon as MEGApartners.
From then on, the long shadow of China loomed over Baluarte at all times, and discussions focused on what levers the European renewable energy industry should use to counter the growing influence of Asian players. Therefore, political unity was called for around the entire European value chain, from suppliers to developers. Also emphasized was the need to invest in local networks and infrastructure, facilitating and streamlining bureaucratic procedures as much as possible.
Thirdly, a call was made to boost reindustrialization through measures that go beyond subsidies and without falling into protectionism. All of this without forgetting the development of a communication exercise that helps the population share the benefits of the energy transition and decarbonization process.
GO ON THE OFFENSIVE
The Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, opened his speech at CITE25 by congratulating the organizers for bringing together the protagonists of one of the most decisive processes for the economic and energy future of Europe: the industrial transition towards a sustainable model.
Sustainable. He emphasized that both Spain and the European Union must reaffirm their commitment to reindustrialization and the fight against climate change, two strategies he considered “inseparable” and which, he stated, are championed “here in Navarre, in Spain, and within the European Council.” For the minister, Navarre represents an example of a region that has managed to turn industry into its main source of progress, with increased exports, innovation, and social quality. In this regard, he praised its pioneering role in the development of wind energy, “one of the great competitive advantages of the Spanish economy,” and asserted that investing in renewables “not only saves the planet, but also opens the door to new industrial sectors and a virtuous cycle of growth.”
Hereu also championed strategic autonomy as an essential principle of European industrial and energy policy. He recalled that the sun, soil, and wind are European resources and, therefore, the foundation of a development model that is less dependent on external sources. “The defense of our freedoms and democracy requires a foundation of economic power,” he stated, linking industrial strength with Europe’s ability to maintain its influence and well-being. In this regard, he insisted that the renewable energy value chain must have greater European influence, but without falling into protectionism, instead supporting international cooperation and an energy policy that guarantees fair conditions for all.
In his final message, he conveyed to the companies in the sector the support of the Spanish government and its willingness to maintain a constructive dialogue to jointly address the challenges of the ecological transition and industrial competitiveness: “Our present and future are at stake. It’s time to go on the offensive in reindustrialization and the green transition.”
For her part, the President of Navarre, María Chivite, highlighted the role of the Autonomous Community as a European leader in renewable energy generation and in its commitment to a sustainable economic model. “Navarra is the land of the renewable energy industry,” she stated.
He recalled the “almost self-taught” origins of this industry and that his government will continue to promote public-private cooperation to consolidate this leadership. Chivite emphasized that this sector is part of Navarre’s “DNA” and that, along with the automotive industry, agri-food, and renewable energy, they are pillars of its competitiveness and well-being.
In her speech, the president also warned of the need to protect European industry from unfair competition and international trade tensions, calling for a “boost to localization” as a guarantee of the future of the value chain. Therefore, Chivi urged the European Union to act decisively to avoid losing its productive capacity and argued that the energy transition is not only viable but also a driver of competitiveness, as demonstrated by the growth of the Spanish economy. “Europe cannot be the museum of the world,” she said, urging the companies present to turn the congress into a space for alliances and solutions that strengthen the continent’s green industry.
Previously, and in the same vein, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera, stressed that “competitiveness is green.” In a video message, Ribera argued that the energy transition is not only a climate issue, but also an economic issue, one of prosperity and
security for Europe. He cited Spain as an example, where the growth of wind and solar energy has reduced the influence of fossil fuels on electricity prices by 75% since 2019, placing the cost of electricity 32% below the European average. “Clean energy is synonymous with competitive prices and well-being,” he stated, insisting that the Clean Industrial Deal seeks to make clean technologies the pillar of European industrial strength.
Ribera warned, however, that Europe cannot be left behind in a global context where powers like China have invested more than €210 billion in clean technologies since 2022. In this regard, he called for accelerating energy integration and providing security to investors and innovators. He also announced new large-scale financial tools, such as a €409 billion Competitiveness Fund, a decarbonization bank with the capacity to mobilize €100 billion, and a European electricity interconnection package that will be launched by the end of the year. “The world is changing rapidly, but Europe has what it takes: innovation, unity, and vision,” Ribera concluded, calling for the clean transition to become the continent’s main competitive advantage.
CEOs of renewable energy companies defend “Made in the EU”
China, which by 2024 had more than half of the world’s installed wind power capacity, dominated the first panel of the day, making it clear that it is the greatest rival of European wind energy companies. “They are already taking away market share from us in regions like South America, Africa, and even Spain,” warned José Luis Blanco, CEO of Nordex Group.
Blanco admitted that the Asian giant is an “imminent threat,” warned of the “potential risk” that the majority of the energy generated is “controlled” by Chinese companies, and explained that this country’s superiority is due to four reasons: the “total support” of its government, which has developed a “national strategy to globally dominate” renewable energy; its technology; its demographics, which in unpopulated areas allow for the installation of larger facilities than those in Europe; and its innovative infrastructure network, which allows for the efficient transport of wind turbines.
To reverse this situation, the Nordex CEO advocated accelerating project licensing, investing in networks and infrastructure, focusing on European suppliers, and being independent throughout the entire value chain. “It’s pointless to have wind turbines on our land if we don’t develop the technology ourselves,” he emphasized.
Michael Larsen, CEO of SM Industries, argued that components should be manufactured in Europe and, along the same lines, urged companies to purchase from the old continent, even if they would save less and offer slightly more expensive energy. “Citizens must pay a few euros more for energy in exchange for preserving jobs and local industry. Only then will we grow again,” he added.
Torsten Tiefel, CEO of SIlbitz Group GmbH, pointed out that Europe’s strategy should not be to imitate the new Chinese wind turbines, which, due to their enormous size, are capable of generating up to 20 gigawatts. “We don’t have the appropriate infrastructure, and it would require a large investment. Furthermore, I believe these wind turbines will not significantly reduce energy prices,” argued Tiefel. According to the CEO of SIlbitz Group GmbH, European companies must “improve the reliability” of their wind turbines,
Better recycle the materials that make up these devices, reduce bureaucracy, and work with global regulations to compete on a level playing field.
Adolfo Rebollo, CEO of Ingeteam, also rejected increasing the capacity of European wind turbines to the level of those of Chinese companies because their transportation and the adaptation of infrastructure (tunnels, bridges, roads) would significantly increase energy prices and, consequently, lead to a loss of competitiveness. Like his fellow panelists, Rebollo advocated strengthening European industry, technology, and the supply chain. “We can’t buy from abroad; we have to protect ourselves. If there is local industry, value is created, wealth is generated, and it reverts to society,” he explained. Furthermore, to protect European companies from those from other continents, he requested that only local companies be able to benefit from public aid granted by public and national institutions.
REINFORCED AND COLLABORATIVE VALUE CHAIN
The subsequent roundtable discussion, moderated by Enercluster’s manager, Iker Chasco, focused on various international experiences in building a renewable energy value chain. The United States, India, and Brazil are some of the countries that have developed specific regulations to support local production and strengthen this chain in the face of, for example, Chinese exports.
The first to speak was Mike Carr, executive director of the Solar Energy Manufacturers of America (SEMA). He began his remarks by mentioning that the organization had already recognized, even before the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was passed in 2022, that it would be impossible to compete with China if the supply chains for materials used to build photovoltaic panels were “too concentrated” in the Asian giant. “Currently, thanks to this law, there is a record rise in energy demand in many states. A large number of data centers and component factories for photovoltaic plants and wind farms are being built in Michigan and Georgia,” he explained.
At the same time, he noted that the messages President Trump is sending about renewable energy “are contradictory.” “Finally, it appears that the Senate and Congress are not going to eliminate the subsidies proposed by the IRA and that Trump had announced. Instead, many industrially depressed areas will experience a boost in the short and medium term.”
“long-term,” Carr said. In his final speaking session, he emphasized the need for greater manufacturing capacity for photovoltaic panel components. “We can’t ignore the fact that solar energy is the cheapest and fastest way to obtain electricity,” he concluded.
The next speaker was Silvia Gavorníková, head of the Export Credits and Competition Division of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), who took over from Carr to refer to the report published a few months ago by the OECD on public subsidies in the business environment. “The global steel market is distorted by extra-market forces, in which producers who do not benefit from subsidies cannot compete on a level playing field,” Gavorníková stated. Along these lines, she noted that the Chinese government has not yet begun requiring foreign companies to obtain special permits to export critical raw materials for the construction of photovoltaic panels or wind turbines, such as silicon, aluminum, steel, semiconductors, and so on.
“The data shows there is no level playing field. Our report indicates that the steel subsidy rate in China is five times higher than the average of other economies,” she stated. However, she emphasized that each government should apply subsidies based on its needs, “but they must be used to create a level playing field.” In closing, Gavorníková recommended that those present contact export agencies if they want to penetrate the international market. “If Europe stands united as one nation, we will be stronger,” she emphasized.
The third member of the panel was Ruben Davis, Head of Policy at Cleantech for Europe, who began his presentation by explaining where the need for European countries to build renewable energy value chains comes from. “At the industrial and political level, Europe has focused too much on innovation, leaving manufacturing behind, while China has managed to combine both aspects. We Europeans have top-level universities, research centers, and incubators, but we have neglected everything else,” he lamented. In this regard, he described the Asian giant’s value chain. “China has adopted a more comprehensive approach. It has created a local supply chain around its companies to control market access by attracting talent, providing training, and exploiting raw materials,” he noted.
The solution? Davis recommends a change of mentality at the European level. “Subsidies are not the only solution. We have to build a suitable trade environment. If we don’t create mechanisms to defend local trade and industry, we Europeans will always lose against China,” and advocates adopting a position similar to that of the United States, although he clarified that “the American pendulum has swung too far toward protectionism and isolationism.” “Europe must remain open and commit to reindustrialization,” he concluded.
COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION
The development of renewable energy projects is undergoing a period of profound reflection. This was highlighted by Arantza Ezpeleta, CEO of Acciona Energía; João Costeira, Executive Managing Director of Repsol Low Carbon Generation; and Rocío Sicre, General Manager of EDP Renováveis Spain, during the CEO Developers panel at the International Congress of the Industry for the Energy Transition (CITE25). They agreed that the energy transition cannot be limited to “a race to install megawatts” but must be approached as a comprehensive transformation of the energy and production system.
The three executives acknowledged that 2025 is proving to be a challenging year, with more than 600 hours of zero or negative electricity prices and stagnant demand. “We are facing unbalanced generation, without grids that can absorb production, and with demand that is not growing,” warned Ezpeleta. According to the Acciona Energía director, “Spain is doing very well at decarbonizing supply, but we are failing at decarbonizing demand.” In her opinion, meeting the PNIEC targets will require electricity consumption to grow by 6% annually, which requires active electrification policies, more robust grids, and greater storage capacity.
For her part, Rocío Sicre considered the current imbalances to be “temporary, not structural,” but emphasized the urgent need to implement capacity mechanisms that restore value to the megawatt hour and enable the viability of new projects. “The demand is there and wants to be established, but it needs competitive prices and regulatory certainty ,” she explained. She also called for reducing the administrative bottlenecks that hinder new investments and warned of the need to “sophisticate markets” and avoid unpredictable quality that erodes companies’ margins.
Repsol’s João Costeira was more cautious: “We’ve had more supply than demand for years, and solutions aren’t short-term.” He championed investment in storage, networks, and digitalization, and insisted that “not all megawatt hours are equal: only the most efficient projects with the capacity to add value to the system will survive.” Costeira also warned of the risk of overcapacity and the need to adapt business models to an increasingly demanding market: “In the coming years, only the truly good projects will be built.”
Regarding regulatory matters, the three agreed on a review of the auction model to ensure that awarded projects are executed and do not become speculative exercises. Sicre argued that auctions should take into account “price indexation and realistic development times,” while Ezpeleta recalled that “they were a useful tool in the past, but they only work if they are well designed and adapted to each market.” Costeira was more blunt: “In Spain, there is no need for new onshore auctions; the objective should be to consolidate existing ones and strengthen the supply chain.”
Another focus of the conversation was the defense of European content in the renewable value chain. “We cannot continue decarbonizing at the expense of deindustrializing Europe,” Costeira warned. “The rules must reflect real costs; manufacturing a turbine here cannot be more expensive than importing it from China, without taking into account the taxes and the jobs it creates.” Along these lines, Ezpeleta called for a European incentive framework that supports the purchase of products manufactured in Europe.
The debate concluded with a joint call to improve social acceptance of renewable energy, a task still pending. “Twenty-five years ago there was ignorance, today there is opposition,” lamented Ezpeleta, who called for greater education and transparency in explaining the local benefits of the projects. Sicre agreed: “We develop in rural areas that need investment, but the opposition has become politicized and is resorting to legal proceedings with thousands of megawatts at a standstill.”
EUROPE AND ITS INDUSTRIAL SOVEREIGNTY
At the PV & Storage CEO panel, Christoph Podewils, Secretary General of the European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC), noted that Europe has lagged behind due to its “complicated” bureaucratic legislation that requires “too many requirements and conditions,” the new IRA regulation implemented by the United States that has attracted many companies to the North American country, and the power of Chinese batteries, which have greater “overcapacity.” Podewils said the key lies in changing mentalities and making consumers see that it is worth paying more money for higher-quality batteries. Along the same lines, he asserted that only 60% of modules manufactured in China meet their own specifications and, for example, are not resistant to hailstorms.
Marc Rechter, CEO of MCPV, advocated for the European Union to have its own legislation to make manufacturing in Europe “simple, fast, and clear .” Specifically, he advocated for European regulations requiring solar panel components to be manufactured in the old country, increasing European manufacturing capacity, and creating a favorable regulatory framework for investment. “We have to prevent money from going to China or the United States,” he asserted. Furthermore, Rechter indicated that Europe must change its mindset, streamline regulations, and “adjust the rules to the speed of change in the modern world.”
Laurent Bodin, Chief Commercial Officer of Holosolis, argued that fewer Chinese modules should be purchased and, like the other speakers, considered it vital that European laws require the manufacturing of modules and batteries to be carried out on the continent. “Modules cannot come from China. We have to buy in Europe and have everything in order.”
Made in Europe. We’re talking about our own freedom, sovereignty, and resilience,” he warned. According to Bodin, this is “Europe’s last chance,” which must create an industrial base capable of absorbing “new innovation,” reduce regulatory oversight, and accelerate procurement.
Finally, Hervé Amossé, EVP of Saft Energy Storage Solutions, explained that the company has been manufacturing its own lithium battery modules and cells for over a decade, but has been entering the Chinese market for the past five years. “During the pandemic, they took the lead because their batteries have much greater capacity,” he acknowledged. Amossé noted that Europe must “become stronger” in other areas, such as the development of software that regulates energy injection or absorption, grid connection, and battery maintenance.
AFTERNOON PROGRAMMING
In the afternoon, the program will transition to parallel sessions in two Baluarte rooms. The O&M Panel will be held in the Sala Cámara, where participants will discuss how new technologies—such as artificial intelligence, drones, and robots—can revolutionize operation and maintenance services, one of the fastest-growing and most profitable businesses. Eduardo Medina (CEO, RES), Juan Otazu (Production Director, Acciona Energía), and Javier Amelivia (CEO Wind, Spie) will participate. Elisa Manero, president of AEMER, will moderate the panel.
Simultaneously, in the Luneta Room, the Energy Storage Panel will take place. It will address questions about the viability of the Spanish market, lessons learned from other more mature markets, and the future beyond lithium batteries. Speakers will include Rodrigo Harstein (Head of Portfolio Management – Battery Energy Storage Systems at Siemens Energy), Peer Piske (Managing Partner at Alantra), Susana Gómez (Head of Renewable Energy at Nexus), and Will Broad (Global Director of Policy and Market of Long Duration Storage at LDES Council), moderated by Eugenio Domínguez, Vice President of AEPIBAL.
Subsequently, the Green Hydrogen Panel will open again in the Chamber of Deputies, addressing the realistic expectations of this technology and its competitive applications. Participating will be Susana de Pablo (General Director of Engineering, Technology and Digitalization at Enagas), Alan Ripa (CEO of Acciona Plug), Juan Peña (Chief Corporate Business and Institutional Affairs Officer at Grupo Enhol), Carlos Ayuso (Technology Development & New Ventures Director at Moeve), and Luis Solla (CEO of Nordex Electrolyzers), moderated by Antonio González (Vice President of the Spanish Hydrogen Association – AeH2).
Meanwhile, in the Luneta Room, the Grid Panel will take place, focusing on the role of the electricity grid in the energy transition and its capacity to integrate the current and future deployment of renewables. Alfredo García-Borreguero (Managing Director of Hitachi Energy Spain), José Manuel Pérez (Director of Regulation at EDP Spain), Eduardo Pedrosa (Managing Director of Transmission & Distribution at Ingeteam), and Concha Sánchez (General Manager of Operations at Red Elétrica) will be present, moderated by Héctor de Lama (Technical Director at UNEF).
After another coffee break, the day will conclude with a keynote address by Yana Popkostova, founder of ECEGA, who will offer an overview of the challenges and opportunities facing the European renewable energy industry in the current geopolitical context. It will conclude with an institutional closing address by Mikel Irujo, Minister of Economic and Business Development for the Government of Navarre, and Aitor Erquicia, President of Enercluster.
