Interview with the director of SPRI, Aitor Urzelai, in Euskadi Irratia

In the context of the energy crisis, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, the CEO of SPRI, Aitor Urzelai, is committed to the production of renewable energy in the Basque Country and the reduction of energy dependence. In a interview granted to the “Faktoria” program of Euskadi Irratia, pointed out that since the Basque Autonomous Community (CAV) excluded the exploitation of gas and the nuclear option, Today, the only possibility to generate energy in the Basque Country is renewable energy, wind and photovoltaics That is why it has insisted on investing in it in the coming years.

According to Aitor Urzelai, with the help of renewable energy sources it will be possible to reduce this energy dependency, lower its price and realize more sustainable and green energy.

Currently, the dependence on fossil fuels exported by the Basque Autonomous Community from abroad is 90%.

In the opinion of Aitor Urzeilai, the war in Ukraine could speed up the energy transition instead of slowing it down, as happened with the pandemic and the digital transition.

The SPRI representative stressed that major transformations are underway in energy and digitalization and that the Basque Country needs to know how to seize these opportunities. In this regard, he added that the secret is “work, work and work” and public-private partnership.

On the other hand, when asked about the impact of the war in Ukraine on Basque companies, he emphasized imports. He explains that imported products from Russia and Ukraine (energy, raw materials and food) have become significantly more expensive, leading to a sharp rise in energy costs and a decline in profitability.