The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, met with Jeff Wu, president and founder of Hithium Energy Storage Technology, to discuss the company’s plans to develop stationary energy storage systems in Navarre. Representatives from both national and regional governments joined the meeting, including the Minister for Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu; the President of the Autonomous Community of Navarre, María Chivite; the Director of the Office of Economic and G20 Affairs, Manuel de la Rocha; and the Regional Minister of Industry of Navarre, Mikel Irujo.
During the discussion, Jeff Wu expressed Hithium’s interest in making a short-term investment in Spain to establish a manufacturing facility for battery energy storage systems (BESS). President Sánchez welcomed the proposal, noting that it builds on strong trade and economic ties between China and Spain that were reinforced during his visit to Beijing in April. Sánchez also outlined Spain’s green agenda, emphasizing the role of public-private collaboration and strategic partnerships with Spanish universities and research centers.
The proposed project aligns with Spain’s broader energy transition strategy, which prioritizes the expansion of the energy storage value chain and the transformation of the country into a European clean energy hub. Leveraging abundant solar and wind resources, an advanced transmission network and an evolving industrial ecosystem, Spain has invested heavily in renewable generation. These efforts have resulted in more than half of the nation’s electricity coming from renewable sources and energy prices approximately 20% below the European average.
Conversations between the Government of Spain, the Navarre regional administration and Hithium have been underway for several months. Under the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan, Spain aims to deploy around 22 gigawatts of storage capacity by 2030 to accommodate higher shares of variable renewable generation. The addition of new BESS facilities in Navarre would support grid stability, peak-shaving, ancillary services and the country’s wider decarbonization and energy sovereignty objectives.
Source: La Moncloa
