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Jaime Real de Asúa Arteche

COLOMBIA - Green Economy

Jaime Real de Asúa Arteche

President, Elecnor

Bio

Jaime Real de Asúa Arteche is the non-executive president of the board of directors of Elecnor and its executive committee. From 2009-2017, when he was appointed as non-executive president, he was vice president of the Elecnor Board of Directors. Within the Elecnor Group, he also held the position of director of the subsidiary of Elecnor Enerfín and Celeo Concesiones y Inversiones. He was also secretary and director in Cantiles XXL. Previously, he held executive positions at Portland Valderribas and Carbocem, both of FCC. Also, he was director and chairman of the Appointments and Remuneration Committee of Viscofan and director of Tasdey. He was also a member of the Advisory Board of BBVA in the Northern Zone. Jaime Real de Asúa has a degree in industrial engineering, specialized in industrial organization, from the Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineers (ETSII) of Bilbao.

Elecnor has two main business lines: infrastructures and concessions. How do these areas of activity work, and how do they contribute to the company’s business volume? Our business plan is […]

Elecnor has two main business lines: infrastructures and concessions. How do these areas of activity work, and how do they contribute to the company’s business volume?

Our business plan is based on these two areas of activity. In fact, the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting has recently approved the start of the reorganization process of the current corporate structure of the Elecnor Group through the spin-off of the former infrastructure business into the company called Elecnor Servicios y Proyectos. The aim of this operation is none other than the adaption of the Group’s corporate structure to the operational reality with which we have been working for years. We are convinced that the new structure will facilitate the management and coordination of the various activities and will help to provide greater visibility for the companies, encouraging orderly growth in all of them. In any case, from the operational point of view, we will continue to function in the same way. Throughout the past two years, both the infrastructure and concession areas have expanded. In 2020, however, the infrastructure sector experienced greater development, as a result of the pandemic. Elecnor is present in more than 50 countries. Therefore, due to the growth underway outside Spain, we adapt to the conditions of every market and preserve solid growth. The pandemic impacts all companies; nevertheless, this internationalization allows us to maintain our activity and to continue developing large projects, as they are regarded as essential activities in all those countries.

How has the pandemic affected Elecnor, and what measures have you taken in order to limit its impacts?

Despite the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, we have been able to manage the situation thanks to the support of our major customers, who have continued their essential activity and infrastructure investments. This has allowed us to maintain our own action and, of course, with the fundamental acknowledgements to our own people. The pandemic demanded an increased need for worker safety, which we took on board by investing in protective measures. To the investment of EUR11 million in 2020, we have to add more than EUR5 million of safety investment directly related to the pandemic. The COVID-19 has affected us in every region, though mostly in countries where we have greater presence, such as Spain and Brazil. This is due to our commitment to safety, and our close monitoring of our safety records. Prevention is a key element for us, and preventive measures have been the main focus of the company’s activities throughout the year. In fact, we issue a weekly announcement on specific issues regarding job safety in English, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish; however, despite the effects of the pandemic, Elecnor has continued to grow. In fact, we have much greater presence in some markets, and we employ more workers.

How can Elecnor contribute to the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals?

Public organizations are extremely optimistic in terms of energy transition, especially when talking about renewable energy. However, this trend should not lead us to take hasty decisions. We cannot do away with traditional energy sources immediately. Instead, we must make a gradual transition to new energy sources. That said, we are fully committed to the transition to renewable energies. In fact, we have a subsidiary entirely dedicated to renewable energies, mainly wind power, as well as photovoltaic and we have been involved for years in projects for solar thermal power plants, combined cycle, thermal and hydroelectric power plants and biomass plants… We are currently working on several projects for the adaptation of electricity consumption for town councils. By the end of 2020, we issued bonds with Banco Sabadell at a value of EUR50 million for sustainable energy projects. It is a huge project called Clime, in Castile-La Mancha, and its aim is to achieve energy efficiency.

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