Programme finalised: Minister Jordi Hereu joins the long list of CITE 2025 speakers

The International Congress of the Industry for the Energy Transition (CITE 2025) has finalised its programme and confirmed the leaders who will take part in an intense day of debate and analysis on the present and future of renewable energy. CITE is the benchmark event where leaders of the renewable sector meet to discuss the present and future of the industry.

The congress will kick off on Wednesday 22 October with the traditional welcome dinner in Baluarte’s Sala Muralla, a historic space that will open the networking opportunities. These activities, which will continue throughout the congress, were already outlined in the post «Networking takes centre stage at CITE 2025».

Thursday 23 October will begin with the institutional opening. The Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, has just confirmed his attendance and will be joined by María Chivite, President of Navarre, and Aitor Erquicia, President of Enercluster.

Round tables and speakers

The first round table, devoted to wind power, will bring together the CEOs of some of the most important international companies. Under the title «Wind CEOs Round Table», it will look at how a sector of great industrial, strategic and energy value is facing challenges such as auctions, tariffs, Chinese competition and permitting. The speakers will be José Luis Blanco (CEO, Nordex Group), Torsten Tiefel (CEO, Silbitz Group GmbH), Michael Larsen (CEO, SM Industries) and Adolfo Rebollo (CEO, Ingeteam), moderated by Brian Gaylord, Principal Analyst at Wood Mackenzie.

This will be followed by a debate on «International experiences in defending the renewable value chain». Countries such as the US, India and Brazil have passed legislation to encourage local manufacturing and strengthen the value chain. The panel will ask whether Europe, with its NZIA, is really up to the task. The speakers will be Mike Carr (Executive Director, Solar Energy Manufacturers of America), Ruben Davis (Senior Policy Officer, Cleantech for Europe) and Silvia Gavorníková (Head of Export Credits and Competition Division, OECD), moderated by Iker Chasco, Managing Director of Enercluster.

After the coffee break, the conversation will turn to solar and storage. The «PV & Storage CEOs Round Table» will discuss the strategic role of these industries in Europe and whether it is possible to compete with the Chinese giant. It will feature Hervé Amossé (EVP, SAFT Energy Storage Solutions), Christoph Podewils (Secretary General, European Solar Manufacturing Council), Bertrand Lecacheux (CEO, Holosolis) and Marc Rechter (CEO, MCPV), moderated by Edurne Zoco, Head of Technologies and Supply Chains, Energy Transition at S&P Global Commodity Insights.

Next comes the «Developers CEOs Round Table», focused on the challenges and opportunities for developers in a context of zero or negative prices, growing curtailment, administrative hurdles and stagnant demand. The panel will feature Arantza Ezpeleta (CEO, Acciona Energía), João Costeira (Executive Managing Director, Low Carbon Generation, Repsol) and Rocío Sicre (General Manager Spain, EDP Renewables), moderated by Kiko Maza, Communications Director at Enercluster.

After this round table, at 2:15 pm, the networking lunch will offer a chance to continue the conversations in a more relaxed setting.

The afternoon at CITE 2025

In the afternoon, the programme will move on to parallel sessions in two of Baluarte’s halls.

The Sala Cámara will host the O&M Panel, which will discuss how new technologies — such as artificial intelligence, drones and robots — can revolutionise operation and maintenance services, one of the fastest-growing and most profitable businesses in the sector. The speakers will be Eduardo Medina (CEO, RES), Juan Otazu (Production Director, Acciona Energía) and Javier Amelivia (CEO Wind, Spie), moderated by Elisa Manero, President of AEMER.

At the same time, the Sala Luneta will host the Energy Storage Panel, which will look at the viability of the Spanish market, lessons learned from more mature markets and the future beyond lithium batteries. The speakers will be Rodrigo Hartstein (Head of Portfolio Management – Battery Energy Storage Systems, Siemens Energy), Peer Piske (Managing Partner, Alantra), Susana Gómez (Head of Renewable Energy, Nexus) and Will Broad (Global Director of Policy and Market, Long Duration Energy Storage Council), moderated by Luis Marquina, President of AEPIBAL.

At 4:30 pm the parallel sessions will continue. The Sala Cámara will host the Green Hydrogen Panel, which will discuss realistic expectations for this technology and its competitive applications. The speakers will be Susana de Pablo (General Manager of Engineering, Technology and Digitalisation, Enagás), Belén Linares (Technology & Innovation Director, Moeve), Juan Peña (Chief Corporate Business and Institutional Affairs Officer, Grupo Enhol), Alan Ripa (CEO, Acciona Plug) and Luis Solla (CEO, Nordex Electrolyzers), moderated by Antonio González (Vice-President of the Spanish Hydrogen Association, AeH2).

Meanwhile, the Sala Luneta will host the Grid Panel, focused on the role of the electricity grid in the energy transition and its capacity to integrate current and future renewable deployment. It will feature Alfredo Parrés (Group Senior Vice President and Head of Renewables, Hitachi), Eduardo Pedrosa (Managing Director Transmission & Distribution, Ingeteam) and Alberto Guerra (Director of Grid Operations, EDP Redes España), moderated by Héctor de Lama (Technical Director, UNEF).

After a second coffee break at 5:30 pm, the day will culminate with a keynote at 6 pm by Yana Popkostova, founder of ECEGA, who will share her view of the challenges and opportunities facing the European renewable industry in the current geopolitical context.

The congress will end at 6:45 pm with the institutional closing by Mikel Irujo, Navarre’s Minister for Economic and Business Development, and Aitor Erquicia, President of Enercluster.

A benchmark meeting

With this programme, CITE 2025 consolidates its position as a strategic meeting point for the renewable sector, bringing together the most influential business leaders, international experts and institutional representatives.

More information and full programme: CITE25 programme