Portugal heavily relies on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and is planning to replace up to 20% of fossil gas with biomethane and green hydrogen, aligning with the European vision for decarbonizing the system while maintaining resilience, stated Cristian Signoretto, president of the European Gas Sector Association, in an interview.
Signoretto highlighted that gas turbines provide inertia to the system — the ability to maintain the stability of the electrical grid — and are crucial for ensuring balance when renewable sources like sun and wind do not generate enough energy.
“Gas turbines were essential during the blackout in April, demonstrating the need for robust technical solutions to ensure supply security,” he said.
He argued that the European energy transition must maintain technical solutions capable of ensuring supply security. During the incident affecting the entire Iberian Peninsula, two plants with autonomous start-up capacity (‘blackstart’) were activated: a hydroelectric plant (Castelo de Bode) and a natural gas plant (Tapada do Outeiro), restoring the electricity supply.
Additionally, Signoretto emphasized that Portugal is well-positioned to be a key player in the European energy transition due to its potential in renewable energies and green gases.
Regarding green hydrogen, he noted that Portugal and Spain are “blessed with sun and wind,” offering significant potential to supply both the domestic market and for export. “Transforming renewable energy into hydrogen will stabilize the system and create a new industrial sector. Portugal is an attractive destination for investment, but support and demand need to be accelerated,” he added.
Although several projects are experiencing delays due to financing and demand limitations, the Eurogas president advocates for a pragmatic approach to hydrogen development. “It is preferable to have hydrogen with 60 or 70% decarbonization now rather than waiting for a 100% green scenario and having no alternatives,” he commented.
He also emphasized that the decarbonization of the European energy system should integrate natural gas and low-carbon gases because “it is cheaper to decarbonize gas than to electrify everything.”
Signoretto noted that sectors such as residential and industrial still heavily depend on gas, and the complete replacement with electricity faces technical and financial limitations. “Electrifying the last mile is significantly more expensive than integrating renewable gases through technologies like biomethane, carbon capture and storage (CCS), or low-carbon hydrogen,” he explained.
Eurogas advocates for an energy transition based on technological neutrality, combining electrification, clean molecules, and viable industrial solutions. For Cristian Signoretto, the fundamental goal is to achieve net-zero emissions, regardless of the technology used. “Overly rigid or idealistic climate targets can jeopardize political and social adherence to the transition process,” he concluded.
