In future our society will consume more electricity, and theoretically that electricity will come from renewable energies, but there are several interpretations of this process. According to the statement made at the end of 2023 by Advisor Mikel Irujo for the Green and Digital Transition of Industry and Companies of the Government of Navarra, Navarre has improved its energy efficiency by 16.30% over the last ten years.

According to Irujo, this improvement has been due to the decarbonisation efforts being made by public administrations and society at large. It says that there is an increase in electricity in global consumption: 19% of the total energy consumed in Navarre in 2021 was electricity and 21% in 2022.

However, energy consumption in Navarra decreased by 8.3% in 2022. All types of energy decrease: coal and coke -15.8%, natural gas -13.9% and oil and derivatives -8.3%. Electricity remains similar (-0.7%). At this level there are still no comparisons with the 2023 data, but it has been observed that between November 2022 and November 2023 industrial activity in Navarre has been reduced by 3.6%, so it can be considered that this would mean an even greater reduction in energy consumption.

Reduced energy consumption, increased imports

The environmental partnership Subai Erakuntza makes a very different assessment of the energy efficiency mentioned by the Foral Government. The evaluation of the study carried out by Irujo can be found on his website.

On the one hand, the association is concerned that in 2022 79% of energy consumption still comes from fossil fuels. That is, “electricity is only 21% of the total energy we consume. And since 2008, electricity consumption in energy units has not increased.” This shows, in his view, that the electrification – and decarbonisation – of society is not happening as it is being sold, and at the heart of that problem is: “The serious structural problems of this type of energy to deal with the form and quantity of consumption we make in today’s capitalist society.”

As for efficiency, according to Subai scholars, in Navarra we consume the same amount of matter, but we produce less. What happens? They consider that we are importing more: Community imports from 2021 to 2022 grew by 26%. “There are the phenomena of deindustrialization, relocation or activity reduction, not just the problems of supply chains.”

Thus, they emphasize that the phenomenon that has been occurring worldwide in recent years is also occurring in Navarra, where the energy consumption of some developed countries has decreased due to the decrease in production and the large number of products they bring from other countries. In the case of mining, this is very clear. That is, our “energy consumption” is outsourced, here less energy is consumed, but that energy has been consumed elsewhere, so the warming effect on the planet is not reduced, as indicated by the latest global data.

The biggest current key to decarbonisation, therefore, is the drop in consumption in developed countries, which are critical of current institutional policies against climate warming, and question all the infrastructures that are being built for renewable energy generation, among other reasons because industrial society has not yet found a way to make electricity from production processes, or because this process is very slow.

Seven other wind farms

Agrowind Navarra 2013 S.L. – six– and Eolica Cancante S.L.U. On Wednesday, spokesman Amparo López announced that they will build seven 162 MW wind polygons in Larraga and Cascante.

The following polygons shall be built in Larraga: Jenariz (24 MW power), Linte - I. Phase (23.1 MW, Linte – II. Phase (9.9 MW), San Marcos II (6 MW), Enlargement San Marcos II (21.72) and San Marcos I (27.72 MW). A 132 kV high voltage line will also be built for the transfer of electricity produced in them to Olite.

For the implementation of the projects, 81,861 square metres of communal land and 16,575 metres of provisional communal land will be used. The project shall include private land. Agrowid Navarra will pay EUR 390,794 for phase I and II of the Navarra Wind Project in a first blow and EUR 38,807 per year plus the corresponding VAT increase. It will be land transfer for 33 years.

The Cascante II Wind Farm will have a power of 50 MW, 96,450 m² of communal land will be destined for this municipality and the period of transfer and exploitation will be 30 years. Eolica Cascante will pay the Municipality of Cascante 2,512,57 euros for each MW generated annually.