The ACV consumes less energy than it did two decades ago, but is increasingly dependent on oil

Energy consumption in the Basque Autonomous Community (CAV) has fallen by 8.6% in the last two decades, which is 428 kilotoneladas less than the equivalent of oil (ktep). According to the latest data provided by the Basque Government for the period 2000-2024, the Basque Country has gone from consuming 5001 ktep in 2000 to consuming 4573 ktep in 2024.

However, this decline has not led to a complete energy transition. Instead ofreducing, dependence on petroleum derivatives has increased: one in two energy units consumed by the territory comes from oil (49.9% compared to 41% in 2000). At the same time, renewable energies have grown, but this source remains a minority in the system as a whole, accounting for only 7% of energy consumption.

The most significant change has occurred in sectoral distribution, with a significant reductionin the consumption of the traditional energy consumer industry in the Basque Country, almost 40% since 2000, and a loss of weight compared to other areas, although it remains one of the main energy consumers.

Instead, transport has been consolidated as the sector with the highest energy demand, with a 43% increase in consumption during this period, which is primarily responsible for the energy use of the territory, consuming 48% of energy and only 31% two decades ago.

On the other hand, the residential and service sectors have evolved more steadily, while the primary sector has reduced its weight to almost marginal levels.

Structural change in production model

Aitor Urresti, PhD in Thermal Energy and professor at UPV-EHU, explains that the change in energy consumption is due to a mixture of multiple factors, since, he says, there seems to be a structural change, but not so much in energy consumption as in the transformation of the production model.

In Urresti's view, the reason for the decline in industrial consumption is that many companies are outsourcing some of the production thatused to consume a lot of energy, "reducing consumption in the territory", while maintaining the most advanced side of manufacturing here.

At the same time, it warns of the significant increase in consumption in the transport sector, which in recent years has gone from being the second consumer to the first consumer. Vehicle engines are becoming more efficient, but cars are getting bigger and farther away. As a result, there is a bouncing effect : "Consumption per kilometre per unit has fallen, whichallows us to travel longer distances. So we are seeing more journeys, with more and more empty vehicles, which leads to higher consumption . "

Withregard to the renewable energy sector, Urresti regrets that there is a cultural problem in the Basque Country with this type of production. "Here we always think that it does not sunshine and therefore there has never beena real commitment based on photovoltaic technologies. "On the other hand, he explains that there has been a" very clear "bet on large facilitiesand that they are creating a strong opposition to this type of project in the territories. "So we are in a dead end.

In this regard, he recalled that an example of this is households which, thanks to their self-consumption , have significantly reduced their energy consumption.