Influence of the New Energy Context on the Spanish Agri-Food Industry

Abstract

The Spanish agri-food industries face a new energy context radically different from the one existing less than a year ago. A comparable situation is occurring in other European countries. The great variability and different seasonality of the agro-industries condition the adaptation measures to be implemented. This article quantifies the impact of the new energy context on real industries with quite different consumption patterns. More than 1000 scenarios have been analysed to determine the effectiveness of adaptation measures. The study results demonstrate the critical situation to which the sector is subjected. The new tariff system affects the agri-food sector in an unequal way, benefiting industries with marked seasonality. In just one year, the electricity bill has increased between 62% and 151%. The savings generated by implementing measures such as optimising contracted power to a new hourly discrimination system (up to 6%) or shifting consumption to lower-cost periods (up to 21%) do not seem sufficient. If prices do not fall drastically, immediate installation of generation systems, such as photovoltaic panels, appears essential to maintain the viability and competitiveness of the sector.