An interview with Pierre-Yves Sachet, Cepsa’s EVP Mobility & New Commerce

At this year’s edition of The Business Booster we will be discussing how to scale up today’s key technologies fast to reach net-zero. What is the Cepsa’s strategy in this respect? 

We are working on the execution of our 2030 strategy, Positive Motion, which will aim to radically transform the company in this decade. To this end, we will use the state-of-the-art technologies available to become a benchmark in the energy transition in Spain and Portugal. At Cepsa, we want to go beyond net zero to net positive, enabling customers and society to move in the right direction. We have set an ambitious roadmap to reduce drastically our CO2 emissions, with targets that put us among the best companies in the energy sector. Specifically, by 2030, Cepsa will have reduced its CO2 emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 55% compared to 2019 and become carbon neutral by 2050. As for Scope 3, the carbon intensity of our products will be reduced by between 15-20% in 2030.

Undoubtedly, to achieve these ambitious objectives, innovation and digitalisation will be two key vectors to drive our decarbonisation and that of our customers, as well as adapting to their needs in real time.

Moreover, alliances are necessary to drive the energy transition, for this reason, at Cepsa we are promoting an ecosystem of strategic alliances with different partners that allow us to move faster and more efficiently in this process.

Among all the key technologies that will allow decarbonisation, which strategic axes Cepsa is planning to focus on? 

We are developing the main sustainable mobility ecosystem and the largest on-the-go, ultra-fast recharging network in Spain and Portugal, with the aim of decarbonising in priority light transport and fostering sustainable mobility.

In addition, to help our industrial customers and sectors such as road, marine and air transport, at the end of this decade we want to be leaders in the production and distribution of green hydrogen and biofuels in Spain and Portugal; for that purpose, we are developing a meaningful portfolio of solar and wind energy projects mostly dedicated to our own use.

All this will be possible thanks to an investment of up to 8.0 billion euros that we will undertake in this decade.

What is your strategy with regards to the development of electric mobility?  How will Cepsa refueling stations evolve in the near future?  

In Cepsa’s Positive Motion strategy, the decarbonisation of road transport and the capacity to offer sustainable mobility solutions for the end customer will play a major role. To this end, we are developing the largest electric mobility ecosystem in Spain and Portugal, together with Endesa, and we are building the largest on-the-go recharging network with at least one 150 kW charger every 200 kilometres on key inter-city corridors.

We will also foster demand for green hydrogen in road transport by placing by 2030 hydrogen refueling stations every 300 kilometers across all the main road transport corridors connecting Spain to Europe.

Our service stations are being transformed into digitally enabled ultra-convenience and food destinations offering a variety of services including fresh food, pharmacy, e-commerce & delivery, and sustainable car washing, alongside multi-energy on-the-go refueling options.

In addition, we are creating a data-driven culture using advanced analytics to transform customer experience and boost the loyalty program. And through artificial intelligence (AI) decision-making, we will be able to provide end-to-end services in real time.

What role do partnerships play in the transformation of the company? 

Partnerships will play a key role. We all need to transform and if we do it together, we can transform better and faster. One of the most relevant partnerships we have is in the mobility area with Endesa. It is a pioneering alliance that will help accelerate the energy transition in Iberia and promote sustainable mobility. Together with Endesa, we are going to offer a distinctive proposal in electric mobility in Spain and Portugal. We will be able to offer a complete and distinctive experience to electric vehicle customers, which will cover all their charging needs both at their usual destinations and on long-distance trips.

What do each of you bring to this strategic alliance?

We are working together to develop what will be the largest on-the-go ultra-fast recharging network in Iberia. This new ultra-fast recharging network deployed by Cepsa, will join Endesa’s existing and future infrastructure at home, car parks, commercial malls etc. This capability will allow users to recharge 80% of their electric vehicles’ battery in approximately 10 minutes.

In addition, Cepsa and Endesa customers will be able to use both companies’ public chargers through their respective digital platforms because they will be fully interoperable, so customers can access through both the Cepsa app and the Endesa app.

Cepsa is a Diamond Sponsor at The Business Booster this year, meet them in Lisbon on 28-29 September 2022.