Energy

An electrocontinent is a continent where electricity plays a greater role than fossil fuels in sectors such as transportation, industry, and buildings. The European Union (EU) aims to move toward this model through its Electrification Action Plan, published in July 2026.

Power system flexibility is the system's ability to adjust electricity generation, consumption, storage and exchanges in response to changes in supply and demand. Its purpose is to keep the grid balanced and safely integrate higher levels of renewable generation.

Clean technologies, or cleantech, are no longer just solutions that help lower emissions. They have become a key component in economic and geopolitical transformation. The first edition of the European Clean Tech Atlas 2026, published by the Bruegel think tank offers an in-depth look at their deployment and the challenge of combining decarbonization, industrial competitiveness and energy security.

BBVA Research states that higher oil prices alone do not necessarily accelerate energy transitions. In a recent report, it argues that geopolitical crises drive energy diversification only when viable technological alternatives are available. The study highlights how perceived supply risk, technological readiness, and public policy shape the energy system.

To reach the 2030 decarbonization targets and remain competitive in the European clean industrial transition, Spain and Portugal need up to €50 billion per year in additional public and private investment. This is according to the report, ‘Cleantech Investment Plan for the Iberian Peninsula’ by Cleantech for Iberia, which underscores that companies need greater financial support in the scaling phase to launch their projects.

The green economy was worth more than five trillion dollars in 2024, according to the report Already a Multi-Trillion-Dollar Market: CEO Guide to Growth in the Green Economy by the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders. It is the second fastest-growing sector, with only technology ahead, and this despite the complex geopolitical environment. Globally, China leads this green market.

BBVA is backing the joint statement from global business leaders prior to COP30, which underscores the commercial viability of the decarbonization of the economy and the climate transition.The statement urges companies and political leaders to “scale the historic opportunity for returns, resilience and growth.” Chairs and CEOs from the World Economic Forum’s Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, including BBVA Chair Carlos Torres Vila, signed the statement.

Clean technologies, also known as 'cleantech', are technologies that contribute to sustainability and environmental protection. This includes innovative solutions for  both climate change adaptation and mitigation, ranging from emission reduction to biodiversity protection and water treatment.

The Global Head of Sustainability and Corporate and Investment Banking at BBVA, Javier Rodríguez Soler, underscored the enormous demand for electricity and energy expected in the U.S. in the coming years, and the need to have the greatest possible variety and quantity of energy sources. “In this sense, we see a growing potential to invest in clean energy in the U.S.,” he said at the ‘Latin America, the U.S. and Spain in the Global Economy Forum’ as part of New York Climate Week activities.

‘First-of-a-kind’ (FOAK) is a technological term that refers to the implementation of a ’cleantech,’ or clean technology, for the first time in real conditions and on a commercial scale. These projects mark the transition from experimental development to market adoption and are fundamental to promoting the energy transition and advancing decarbonization.

Public and private investment in clean technologies (‘cleantech’) in Spain and Portugal must increase by an additional €50 billion per year until 2030, beyond current levels, to reach the decarbonization targets in the Paris Agreement. This was stressed in the report, ‘Capital Cleantech in Iberia: Mapping the Landscape, Mobilising the Investments,’ which also encourages financial solutions to support the implementation of innovative, pioneering projects, as well as their scalability and commercialization.

Photograph created using artificial intelligence (Midjourney).

“The ‘First Movers Coalition’ will help foster investment in cleantech for industrial decarbonization,” said John Rutherford, the Head of Institutional Relations at BBVA, who attended the event where the Spanish government joined this World Economic Forum (WEF) alliance.

BBVA firmly believes in the role of hydrogen in the energy transition and the business opportunity it represents. To this end, it considers advice and financing essential for rolling out projects based on this clean technology. “We see a real appetite from the financial sector to invest in hydrogen assets,” said Dorian de Kermadec, Managing Director Low Carbon Advisory at BBVA, in an interview with bbva.com.

Climate technologies are innovative solutions that aim to combat climate change by slashing emissions and capturing carbon from the atmosphere. According to experts, this industry could generate €600 billion in annual revenue by 2030.

BBVA’s Turkish franchise provides financing for Uludağ Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş.’s electricity distribution investments across Bursa, Balıkesir, Çanakkale, and Yalova, contributing to regional energy resilience and sustainable development.

“Green hydrogen is a great opportunity to enhance the competitiveness of Spanish companies,” stated the Global Head of Sustainability Strategy, Industries and Cross-Border Business & CIB at BBVA, Roberto Albaladejo. Speaking at an event on green hydrogen held at Ciudad BBVA in conjunction with Hy24, Albaladejo added that Spain “is in an ideal position, with abundant renewable energy, robust industrial clusters and a clear public commitment” to scale up clean technologies like hydrogen.

The steel sector is responsible for seven percent of global CO2 emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. Thanks to cleantech companies like H2 Green Steel they are making headway in more sustainable production, reducing emissions by up to 95 percent in key processes.

Photo: Midjourney (AI)

The agreement contributes to the development of climate technologies, or cleantech, in a first-of-a-kind project to support European energy resilience, helping stabilize the power grid and promoting decarbonization in the energy industry.

Scaling up ‘cleantech’ (also known as clean technologies) means expanding innovative projects, those that aim to decarbonize the economy, so they can grow and adapt to market demand. To do so, adequate financing is fundamental in order to produce and distribute this technology at a greater scale and lower cost, boosting competitiveness and the reindustrialization process. According to Cleantech for Europe, banks remain, by far, “the largest financial institutions in Europe” contributing to this effort.

The bank offers tailored solutions that help large corporations tackle the challenges of the energy transition, regulatory environment, and the decarbonisation of production models. With a global presence and specialized approach, BBVA CIB supports its clients across five strategic sectors — energy, infrastructure and construction, industry and transportation, TMT, and consumer, retail and leisure — with the goal of becoming their financial partner of reference.

The cleantech ecosystem is advancing at different rates. While technologies such as solar and wind power are already consolidated, innovations such as carbon capture and green hydrogen still have a long way to go. Reaching the maturity of these solutions is key to  sustainability and requires strategic investment to accelerate global decarbonization.

As climate change bites, a host of firms have started to develop ‘cleantech’ to cut emissions and help people cope with its effects. Decarbonizing the economy and fostering innovation are fast becoming sources of growth and new industry.  With a focus on sustainability and shifting to greener energy, BBVA invests in such ventures, supports firms with tailored finance, and offers advice through specialist funds.

The collaboration among banks, investors, innovators, and the public sector will be, as Santiago Muguruza, global head of BBVA Spark, stated, "decisive for scaling up technological projects essential for the energy transition."  During his speech at the Energy Tech Summit 2025 held in Bilbao, he further emphasized that this type of cooperation "is key to closing the innovation gap in Europe."

BBVA CIB and the company Basque Hydrogen have signed the first project finance loan on the Iberian Peninsula to finance an electrolytic hydrogen plant to produce synthetic fuels (e-fuels) in the Bilbao port. BBVA made the announcement during the largest European conference on innovation and financing for the energy transition, the Energy Tech Summit, which starts on Wednesday in Bilbao. The event will bring together over 1,500 experts from the cleantech ecosystem.

BBVA is the main sponsor of a new edition of what is the largest European conference on innovation and financing for the energy transition, which will run from April 9 to 10 at the Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao. This year’s event will notably feature a debate on the key resources needed to achieve a more sustainable energy model.

BBVA CEO Onur Genç believes that decarbonization requires ‘massive’ capital investments. “Europe needs large banks to finance clean technologies, or ‘cleantech’, on a greater scale,” he said at an event held at the bank’s headquarters in Madrid.

Cleantech is key to moving toward sustainability, although to continue growing it must overcome certain challenges, notably the €50 billion investment gap that currently exists in Europe until 2030, according to Cleantech for Europe. Public-private partnerships and the development of innovative solutions are essential to unlock its potential and ensure wider access to clean technologies.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) have become a solution to prevent surpluses from being lost and to cover the intermittence of renewable energy. “We need energy storage solutions to make them permanent,” says researcher and electric battery expert Philippe Knauth in an interview for bbva.com. He also points out that the democratization of energy depends on “the combination of renewable energies and energy storage.”