EAE News
Which direction is the energy sector heading in Spain?
03 de December de 2020
Renewable energy is the future. There is no doubt about it. Year after year, industries such as wind, solar and hydro power receive greater incentives and bigger investments. Moreover, they are increasingly supported by a series of policies at a global level that ensure a long and prosperous road ahead. As a result of this reality, the demand for professionals in this sector is on the rise and it is considered one of the areas with most opportunities right now.
So, how has this sector developed in Spain and what are the goals for the next few years. More importantly, which profiles and skills are in the highest demand? The specialist and headhunter, Ana Campos Calvo, discussed everything related to the energy sector in the latest session of EAE’s series of conferences, Conversations with Headhunters.
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“Fortunately, the trend for renewable energies is changing for the better”.
“The consumption of primary energy in Spain in 2018 was distributed between Oil (44.9%), Natural Gas (21.2%), Renewable Energies (13.9%), Nuclear (11.3%) and Carbon (8.6%). Therefore, Oil & Gas accounted for almost 50%. Fortunately, this trend is changing for the better at a good pace”, explained Campos.
She then revealed that, in 2020, renewable energy generation accounts for 52.5% and all indications seem sure that this rise will continue in the coming years.
“In 2017, an upturn in investments began at both a national and international level”.
In the first few minutes of the session, the headhunter gave an overview of the sector and the evolution of these energies. “In 2017, the first auctions were held after the freeze that lasted such a long time in the sector. However, from that year onwards, new auctions have been held that have enabled us to get to where we are today, moving towards energy generation with lots of plans and consensus at a European level to ensure that a great majority of energy does not come from primary energies, but rather from renewable or green energies”.
In 2005 and 2006, we started to see a significant increase in investments in the renewable sector, reaching a peak in 2008 which was, as the speaker put it, the golden age for this sector in the country. “Spain was the land of the sun. Lots of wind and photovoltaic solar installations were built. This was followed by a big drop, almost down to zero in 2014, 2015 and 2016. However, in 2017, an upturn in investments began at both a national and international level and the panorama changed completely”, she added.
Campos went on to explain that, in addition, lots of government policies have facilitated progress in the field of these energies and, most importantly, ensured that they can recover quickly from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
“This is a global shift towards the idea of saving the planet”.
Right now, the area with the greatest demand at a macro level, in Spain and beyond, is everything to do with photovoltaic solar energy as such projects are faster to roll out and less technically complex, In addition, financing for these projects tends to be more affordable and less risky.
“This is a global shift towards the idea of saving the planet”, emphasized the headhunter. “We are now facing significant changes in temperature and this is partly due to the pace of life consumption and the energies that we are using”.
For this reason, over the coming years, there will be a focus on several changes, ranging from the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to improved energy efficiency.
Moreover, it is estimated that, over the next decade, the renewable energy sector will generate between 107,000 and 135,000 new jobs. So, what profiles are in demand and what skills are they being asked for?
“Since the start of the auctions, we have seen growing demand for professionals, particularly in technical and business areas for project development, as well as for investment funds”, explained Campos. The profiles in the highest demand include the following:
- Solar/Wind Resource Analysts
- Network Connection, T&D
- EPC Purchasing Manager
- Business Development Manager
- Project Finance, Finance Managers, Controllers and Supervisors
- Legal Counsel
- Asset Management
- Investment Director
- Strategy & Regulation
- Energy Management/Commercialization Manager
- PPAs & Origination
In terms of skills, Campos explained that “now more than ever before, another kind of skills are gaining importance, becoming equally or more crucial than technical skills”. These include the following:
- Initiative and productivity
- Communication skills (interpersonal relations).
- Capacity to lead and manage.
- Adaptability and flexibility.
- Creativity and innovation.
- Lifelong learning.
- Analytical capacity.
- Strategic Vision
As we can see, the renewable energies sector represents a whole world of employment and professional opportunities that will not only generate jobs but also help to build a fairer and more responsible world.