Spanish authorities have adopted a plan to reduce gas consumption

MADRID, 11 Oct – PRIME. Spain’s Council of Ministers has approved an energy contingency plan (+SE plan) aimed at reducing the country’s gas consumption between next March, Deputy Prime Minister Teresa Ribera said on Tuesday during a meeting broadcast by the government.

“We called it the ‘Energy Security Plan’ because it is an idea that we want to strengthen: a plan that offers us a more strategic vision of how to provide more secure conditions, how to guarantee a more affordable price for energy and greater solidarity with other Europeans. “, – she said.

This plan contains 73 measures structured in six big blocks: energy saving and energy efficiency; promotion of “energy transition”; protecting vulnerable consumers, households and businesses; fiscal measures; strategic autonomy; solidarity with other European partners. Some of these measures, such as lowering the VAT on gas to 5% from 21% or reforming the regulated electricity tariff, have already been approved.

According to the report, these measures were taken to protect citizens from price increases caused by the conflict in Ukraine. The initiative also aims to reduce gas consumption, improve energy autonomy, increase the competitiveness of the economy and increase energy exports. As a result, the reduction in gas consumption throughout the country should be in the range from 5.1% to 13.5% from August to March.

“The +SE plan strengthens the energy infrastructure to promote gas exports to France, Italy and the rest of the EU, and also outlines the future Iberian hydrogen corridor,” added a press release posted on the government’s website.

“Unlike other European countries, Spain does not depend on energy imports from Russia and their supplies are guaranteed,” the source says. Spain is one of the EU countries with the widest list of natural gas suppliers. According to the information platform Ep Data, created by Europa Press, among the traditional gas exporters to the kingdom are Algeria, the United States, France, Russia, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Norway, Qatar, Trinidad and Tobago.