News

26/03/26

Alliance Q-Cero, driven by Iberdrola España, is presented in Oviedo to showcase the opportunities of decarbonisation for the Asturian economy

The Federación Asturiana de Empresarios (FADE), in collaboration with Iberdrola España, has organised an event to present the alliance for thermal decarbonisation.
Representatives from the regional government, including Borja Sánchez, Regional Minister for Science, Industry and Employment, took part, alongside executives from companies such as ArcelorMittal, Bayer, Saint-Gobain, Windar, Gonvarri and TSK.

Electrification

Group of attendees seated in an event space during an institutional session on decarbonization.

Asistentes al evento de presentación de Alianza Q-Cero

Alliance Q-Cero was presented today in Oviedo to highlight the opportunities that decarbonisation creates for the Asturian economy. The event, organised by the Federación Asturiana de Empresarios (FADE) in collaboration with Iberdrola España, brought together nearly 100 registered attendees.

The event, held at Espacio Circus, included the participation of the Regional Minister for Science, Industry and Employment of the Asturian government, Borja Sánchez.

During the session, Marta Sánchez Álvarez, Partner responsible for the Energy sector at EY, presented the report Competitiveness of industry and energy transition, which analyses the current state of industrial decarbonisation in Spain and Europe and highlights the main existing barriers, particularly grid availability to connect new electro-intensive demand. The study concludes that the decarbonisation of industrial heat represents an immediate opportunity to strengthen competitiveness, thanks to the maturity of technologies and the stabilising role that the growth of renewables is playing in electricity prices in the current context.

Representatives from leading companies in the region — such as ArcelorMittal Asturias, Bayer La Felguera (Bayer Hispania), Saint-Gobain Glass, Windar, Gonvarri and TSK — also took part, sharing first-hand their experiences in decarbonisation processes and the opportunities that this transformation is generating for the Asturian industry, particularly in engineering and the manufacturing of components linked to renewable energy and decarbonisation.

More than 150 organisations have already joined Alliance Q-Cero, a project for the decarbonisation of thermal demand in Spain promoted by the Centre for Innovation in Technology for Human Development at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (itdUPM) and Tecnalia, and driven by Iberdrola España.

The initiative, open to all stakeholders, was created as a forum for dialogue to accelerate decarbonisation, particularly among industrial thermal energy users, and to combat climate change.

Eduardo Montejo Ayala, representing Alliance Q-Cero, stated that “the energy system is undergoing a true technological revolution led by electricity. Advances in recent years have enabled renewable energy to become the cheapest way to generate electricity globally, while also driving key developments in areas such as battery storage, electric mobility and the deployment of technologies such as heat pumps”. He added that this evolution “is making possible the electrification and decarbonisation of traditionally complex industrial sectors, such as ceramics, although he stressed that for this competitive electricity to effectively reach industry, adequate electricity grids are essential”.

He also placed this process within an increasingly complex geopolitical context, in which dependence on fossil fuels poses a clear risk. “We saw this during the war in Ukraine and we are seeing it again with the conflict in the Middle East,” he said, highlighting that gas price volatility underlines the need to move towards an energy system based on domestic, clean and stable sources that strengthen energy security and autonomy.

He further emphasised that the energy transition and electrification are not only a response to these challenges, but also a major industrial opportunity. In this regard, he highlighted the potential to develop industrial capabilities in the manufacturing of goods linked to decarbonisation, renewable energy structures and advanced engineering services, building on a strong industrial base and access to competitive energy. To fully seize these opportunities, he stressed the need to continue promoting public policies such as those already supported by the regional government, as well as strengthening partnerships between companies, universities and public administrations, “working together to accelerate decarbonisation and position industry in an increasingly competitive environment”.

The President of the Federación Asturiana de Empresarios, María Calvo Carvajal, stated that “decarbonisation is not a cost. It is the investment that makes us less vulnerable, more competitive and more in control of our industrial future”. She added that in recent weeks “we have experienced first-hand the urgency of energy dependence” and recalled that “every process we electrify and every kilowatt we generate from our own sources is one step less in vulnerability”.

Opportunity of the energy transition for Spain

Alliance Q-Cero is conceived as an open, shared platform where all stakeholders can come together, engage in dialogue on the current situation, showcase achievements, identify bottlenecks and develop proposals and activities to accelerate the decarbonisation of heat across different sectors, while maintaining competitiveness and helping to realise the opportunities of the energy transition.

Decarbonisation in industry, especially in thermal demand, represents an industrial revolution and a unique opportunity in terms of economic growth and quality employment for Spain, and particularly for Catalonia, as it provides a pathway to lead the economy of the future.

The Clean Industrial Deal to be presented by the European Union responds to these challenges, aiming to enhance the competitiveness of the European economy by advancing the decarbonisation of the industrial sector through electrification, which is the fastest and most efficient way to achieve it.

The electrification of heat is essential not only to protect the environment, but also to increase energy autonomy and reduce imports of fossil fuels.

Alliance Q-Cero, driven by Iberdrola España, is presented in Oviedo to showcase the opportunities of decarbonisation for the Asturian economy

Alliance Q-Cero, driven by Iberdrola España, is presented in Oviedo to showcase the opportunities of decarbonisation for the Asturian economy

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