Energy

BBVA was presented the ‘Sustainability Action 24’ award by Compromiso RSE for the bank’s support of the clean technology ecosystem. The organization specifically recognizes the creation of a unit dedicated exclusively to financing cleantech, as well as BBVA being the only financial institution participating in the ‘Cleantech for Iberia’ initiative.

At a recent meeting of the Spanish Green Growth Group, key players in the cleantech ecosystem praised the new Industry Law as a catalyst for transforming Spain into Europe’s next industrial hub for clean technologies. Speakers pointed to the challenge of achieving net-zero emissions as an opportunity for the country.

Cleantech, or new clean technologies, are all those technologies that will allow us, or at least should allow us, to achieve the EU’s overarching goal of becoming net zero in emissions by 2050. They are innovative solutions, in many cases disruptive and predicated on innovation and technology. Many of them are still in an embryonic stage. Other more mature proposals need funding to grow and, above all, to make them profitable and scalable for industrial applications.

We’re here to talk about all this with Alberto Toril Castro, energy sector manager at Breakthrough Energy, a platform featuring various climate funds and founded by Bill Gates. As an advocate of affordable green energy, he firmly believes that “electrification is the future of the economy.” He calls for more public-private partnerships in the cleantech ecosystem and proclaims that “financial institutions play a key role when it comes to decarbonization.”

Storing electricity to use up to eight days later - electricity that comes from renewable sources. This is the milestone being marked by Malta, the U.S. company dedicated to clean technologies. Its Managing Director in Spain, Michael Geyer, sees the Iberian Peninsula as a strategic region to deploy these new technologies, or ‘cleantech’. “The Iberian Peninsula is in a privileged position to host innovative solutions for energy storage based on cleantech,” he explained in an interview with bbva.com.

Clean technologies, also known as 'cleantech', are technologies that contribute to sustainability and care for the environment. This includes emissions reduction, biodiversity protection and water treatment.

The Iberian Peninsula is on the cutting edge of Europe’s cleantech revolution. It is believed that the industry will create some 2.65 million new jobs and mobilize €150 billion in investment across the region by 2030. These impressive figures are revealed in a new report headed up by BBVA and Cleantech for Iberia, a coalition set up to drive the potential of Spain and Portugal as a clean energy hub in the European Union.

“Decarbonization is a technological revolution that requires innovation and financing. Its scope is global and it will affect all industries and sectors,” said Antonio Bravo, Global Head of Sustainability Strategy and CIB at BBVA. In the framework of the Energy Tech Summit, which ended yesterday in Bilbao, Bravo emphasized “the key role” of financing new clean technologies. “BBVA is committed to financing cleantech to facilitate its growth on an industrial scale,” he stressed.

BBVA is sponsoring the Energy Tech Summit, Europe's largest conference on innovation and investment in climate technologies and cleantech. More than 1,000 attendees from 40 countries including startups, investors, companies and government representatives will participate on April 10 and 11 in this event to be held at the Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao. The forum aims to connect and amplify the impact of new cleantech technologies in the fight against climate change.

Cleantech for Iberia brings together cleantech companies, investors and policy makers to boost the potential of Spain and Portugal as a clean energy hub in the European Union.

Garanti BBVA is in the process of installing solar panels on buildings at its Pendik Campus, on the Güneşli Service Building and on top of the bank’s ATMs. The solar energy project is part of Garanti BBVA’s commitment to fight the climate crisis and support renewable energy.

Producing hydrogen from renewable energy is a key challenge on the path to decarbonization and asset managers such as Hy24 are confident that this technology will reach maturity within the decade. BBVA has invested ten million in one of Hy24’s funds, which uses its capital to finance large-scale clean hydrogen infrastructure projects. Notably, it is the world’s largest clean hydrogen fund.

As part of its efforts to further increase financing for renewable energy projects, Garanti BBVA recently announced an agreement to provide €36.1 million in financing to Galatya Energy Production Inc. for the Işıklar Wind Power Plant.

Garanti BBVA has signed a further agreement with Beyçelik Elawan Renewables Renewable Energy Production Inc. to finance a series of upgrades to the Yahyali Wind Power Plant, bringing the Turkish bank’s total investment to USD 145 million.

BBVA has joined the 'Cleantech for Iberia' initiative to accelerate the development of clean technologies in Spain and Portugal. The main goal is to create a global hub that establishes the Iberian Peninsula as a leader in the 'cleantech' sector. The initiative brings together funds totaling more than one billion euros.

BBVA and Solarpack, a multinational specializing in the development and construction of solar power facilities and in sales of photovoltaic solar energy in Spain, have signed an arrangement to finance a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Shell Energy Europe. A total €38 million in green finance will be allocated to a renewable energy project located in Murcia, Spain, which will generate more than 100 gigawatts (GWh) per year. The project will avoid the emission of approximately 70,300 tons of carbon dioxide.

BBVA has built a new advisory tool into its app. With the help of strategic partners, the app now provides personalized guidance on how to lower energy consumption by installing solar panels in family homes. This functionality enables bank customers to see an estimate of how much they could save on their electricity bill thanks to self-consumption, without having to enter any data if they already have their home registered and their electricity bill settled by direct debit. In addition, the solution shows the estimated cost if solar panels are installed, the number of panels required for savings, the investment required, the option of ordering them digitally from the bank's energy partner through a turnkey service, and terms for access to BBVA credit. In the first quarter of 2023, the bank funded nearly 4,000 installations, which represents growth of 67 percent compared to the same period last year.

As part of its focus on sustainability, Garanti BBVA is once again the main supporter of Earth Hour - a WWF campaign since 2007.

BBVA and Windar Renovables, a leading global manufacturer of towers for onshore and offshore wind farms and foundations for offshore wind farms, have signed a sustainable invoice factoring line worth a total €50 million. The proceeds of the agreement will be used to finance a contract related to the Baltic Eagle offshore wind project, recently awarded to the company. This sustainable financing scheme, Windar Renovables’ first ever, will allow the company to, through the non-recourse sale of its invoices, muster the financial resources it needs to honor its contract obligations.

BBVA has signed a partnership agreement with Acciona to inform, advise and finance projects for energy efficiency upgrades in buildings. The aim is to reduce the electricity bills (by using less energy) and the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of Spanish buildings, some of the most energy obsolete in Europe. In the first stage of this service, BBVA will contact almost 3,000 home owners in Spain to promote energy efficiency.

BBVA joins the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, which aims to promote the extension and development of the use of green hydrogen for a carbon-neutral Europe by 2050. BBVA is the only Spanish bank in this alliance promoted by the European Commission.

BBVA Chairman Carlos Torres Vila stressed today that the energy transition poses a great opportunity because many existing activities will see enormous growth as new activities will emerge. “Spain has a competitive advantage in the energy transition,” he said. “We have the natural resource - the new oil, which is the sun and the wind,” he added during his presentation on the second day of Wake up Spain, the energy transition symposium organized by El Español, Invertia and D+I.