The Minister of Industry and Ecological and Digital Business Transition, Mikel Irujo, presented the 2023 Energy Balance for Navarre at a press conference this morning. The report, prepared by the Energy Transition Service, reflects the consumption of different energy sources in the region. Among its main conclusions is the fact that Navarra has managed to be 7.4% more efficient in 2023 compared to the previous year.
During his speech, the minister highlighted that “the measures being implemented by the Government of Navarre to achieve a more sustainable energy model are based on energy efficiency, self-consumption, and generation through renewables.” “In 2023, we were 7.4% more efficient than the previous year, which highlights the trend towards decarbonization that industry, government, and society are pursuing,” said Irujo.
Energy consumption
The Energy Balance of Navarre analyses primary energy consumption, that is, both final energy and the sources used to produce that energy. In this regard, Navarre required 2,300,796 toe (tonnes of oil equivalent) of primary energy in 2023, representing a decrease of 13.6% compared to the previous year.
One of the most significant changes was the 22.7% decrease in natural gas, which fell from 1,205,262 toe in 2022 to 932,235 toe in 2023. This decrease is mainly due to the fact that during 2022 there was the so-called Iberian exception, which meant that natural gas was cheaper here than in other European countries, so more electricity was generated than was needed in order to export it to other countries.
Other energy sources have also seen declines. Coal and coke have fallen by 8.8%, oil and derivatives by 8.1%, electricity by 4.1% and biomass by 0.8%.
On the other hand, in terms of final energy consumption in Navarre in 2023, this amounted to 1,775,963 toe. This figure is 5.7% lower than the 1,873,860 toe recorded in 2022. If we look at the energy sources, we can see a decrease in practically all of them, with coal and coke (-8.8%), oil and derivatives (-8.1%) and natural gas (-5.4%) showing the greatest declines. Next would be electricity, which has suffered a 3.6% decline. The only energy source that has increased in the energy mix is biomass, which has grown by 3.9%. However, this increase in a renewable raw material, combined with the decline in non-renewable energies, highlights the progress that industry, business and society are making towards decarbonisation.
If we analyse the productive sectors, transport continues to account for the highest consumption with 691,216 toe, representing 39% of the total. In second place is industry (653,015 toe and 37%), followed by the domestic, trade and services sector (281,623 toe and 16%), agriculture (104,2963 toe and 6%) and, finally, administration and public services (45,862 toe and 2%). It should be noted that the three sectors with the highest consumption have seen significant decreases compared to last year. Specifically, transport consumed 2.49% less, industry 5.11% less and the domestic and services sector 16.2% less.
Growth in self-consumption
Self-consumption also saw significant growth in 2023, with a 48.4% increase in installed photovoltaic capacity compared to 2022. In this area, the industrial and residential sectors led the way in new installations, reflecting a collective commitment to greater energy autonomy.
Energy storage capacity, crucial for system stability, reached 19,098 kWh, strengthening Navarre’s energy resilience.
Public Administration investments in renewable energy
During the press conference, the Managing Director of Energy, Business R&D&I and Entrepreneurship, Garbiñe Basterra, explained the investments being made by the Administration in the field of renewable energy in order to increase self-consumption.
By 2023, 65 photovoltaic systems for self-consumption have been installed, with an estimated annual production capacity of 2,814 MWh and a peak power of 3,481 kWp, representing a cumulative investment in these facilities of more than €3 million.
In addition, by 2025, the budget allocated to subsidies will double compared to 2024, consolidating support for sustainable technologies. These investments reflect the commitment to an autonomous, efficient and clean energy model, which allows Navarra to move towards decarbonisation, reduce energy costs and decrease its environmental footprint, aligning itself with the objectives of sustainability and energy resilience.
Full press conference (link a: https://www.youtube.com/live/vNn7vb0B_SY )