The Government extends the Energy Efficiency Aid Program for Industrial Enterprises until June 2023

The Government extends the Energy Efficiency Aid Program for Industrial Enterprises until June 2023

- In these lines, aimed at promoting energy efficiency to reduce emissions from industry and its final energy consumption, 214 million euros have been requested by more than 950 large companies and SMEs industrial companies that will mobilize more than 772 million euros.

- The success of the program, originally endowed with 307,644,906 euros, has increased its budget three times to 356,944,906 euros.

- The need to maintain the continuity of support due to the economic context triggered by the pandemic and the interest of the sector make it necessary to extend its validity for the second time after a first extension ending on June 30, 2021.

The Council of Ministers, at the proposal of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), has approved a Royal Decree to extend, for the second time, the validity of the Industry III Program of aid for efficiency actions energy in SMEs and large companies in the industrial sector until June 30, 2023.

In these grants, managed by the Institute for Diversification and Energy Saving (IDAE) and funded by the National Energy Efficiency Fund, 214 million euros have been requested by more than 950 large companies and SMEs to facilitate the implementation of energy saving and efficiency measures in industry and thus reduce CO2 emissions and final energy consumption. The implementation of the companies' plans will mobilize an investment of more than 772 million euros.

These lines subsidize actions to improve technology in equipment and industrial processes and the implementation of energy management systems, which reduce the consumption and costs of companies and improve their competitiveness, increase economic activity and encourage creation. of jobs.

The Industry Program provides in its bases the extension of its funds, in case there is budgetary availability, in those autonomous communities that execute to 100% his initial amount. The success of this program, originally endowed with 307,644,906 euros, has increased its budget three times to 356,944,906 euros. Thus, after exhausting its endowment and requesting new financing, the allocation of Asturias was extended with 7,300,000 euros, with 35,000,000 that of Catalonia and with 7,000,000 that of the Basque Country. Autonomies may continue to request extensions of their allocation until June 30, 2023 as they execute 100% of their budget.

The validity of the Program was initially established until December 31, 2020, but the economic consequences of the pandemic made it advisable to extend it, for the first time, until June 30, 2021. Since these effects still persist , the Government has decided to extend this date and extend the validity of the aid until two years.

The new rule also adapts the Royal Decree that establishes the bases of the Program to the last modifications of the maps of regional aids of Spain that approve the European Commission and that are of application until June of 2023.

INDUSTRY PROGRAM

This aid program allows to promote a wide variety of actions for the improvement of energy efficiency in the industry ranging from regular investments to new innovative processes. Among them, actions such as the following have been covered:

· Renewal of steam and hot water production system

· Regulation of motors by means of electronic variators of speed

· Replacement of the existing low energy efficiency lighting system with a high energy efficiency LED system

· Boiler performance improvement by burner replacement and heat recovery

· Recovery of residual heat

· Replacement of plastic injection machines by more efficient ones

· Energy optimization in the generation of industrial cold

· Improvement of energy efficiency in the process of textile finishing

· Replacement of air compressors by high efficiency equipment

EFFICIENCY OBJECTIVE IN THE PNIEC

The industrial sector accounts for 25% of national final energy consumption. Its contribution to the objectives of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) of final energy savings is set at 10,256 tons of oil equivalent (ktoe) during the period 2021-2030, which is a goal of savings of 1,025 ktoe per year. With the Industry III Program, the current line, it is expected to reach a final energy saving of 500 ktoe / year, which represents 50% of the annual target set by the PNIEC.