Posted on December 9, 2010
Source: EP/GOVERNMENT OF CANTABRIA
The first industrial projects of the wind plan of the Government of Cantabria will begin to see the light in the first months of next year, after tomorrow the final award of the power allocation contest to seven groups of companies is already published in the BOC.
These industrial and R&D&I projects, associated with wind farms, alone represent a private investment of around 280 million euros and the creation of 2,325 jobs (specifically, 200 million and 2,028 jobs for industrial projects; and 77.2 million and 297 jobs for R&D projects).
In total, the entire plan involves a private investment of about 2,000 million euros and the creation of 4,000 jobs, as stressed by the Minister of Industry and Technological Development, Juan José Sota, who has shown his confidence that the project does not suffer "any difficulty" despite the opposition of the Popular Party or groups such as Arca.
The final award has been made in the same terms as the provisional one, so that the companies have not introduced any variation and have maintained their commitments both for the parks and for the industrial and research plans. In addition, the groups have already delivered the 33.5 million euros of guarantees.
Specifically, the winners of the wind tender were Nuevas Energías de Occidente S.L. (220 megawatts), Cantabria Generació S.L. (215 MW), Biobas, Jealsa and Engasa (210 MW), Biocantaber S.L. (205 MW), Sniace, Banco Santander and Helium (189 MW), E.ON Renovables (210 MW) and Actium, Ascan and Apia XXI (87 MW). In total, the maximum generation capacity granted is 1,336 megawatts.
The procedure that is approved this Friday means that these companies are recognized the right to present park projects, and also that they can begin to start their industrial and R & D + i projects. Government and awardees have already met, and have created a monitoring commission with which it is intended to speed up the deadlines, one of the conditions that was set when evaluating the offers.
In the coming weeks the companies, chosen from a total of 51 groups that were interested in the wind contest, will begin to explain their concrete plans themselves. For its part, Sota will request the convening of the Industry Committee of the Parliament of Cantabria and has also advanced that a campaign of public events is being prepared to inform citizens, which will focus on the areas in which the projects will be located.
The Minister of Industry has trusted that citizens "will be able to verify" in the coming months the "true impact" of the plan, when industrial projects begin to be implemented.
Then, he predicted, it will be seen that it is a "unique opportunity to reactivate the industrial sector, grow again and generate employment" by the hand of companies in the region, but also of national and multinational companies that will invest in Cantabria, jointly.
ARK AND DE LA SERNA
In the same way, he has been "calm" in front of the appeal that Arca has filed before the TSJC requesting the precautionary suspension of the contest for the allocation of wind power. Sota has referred to the judgment against which the environmentalists appeal to express their confidence that the plan will not have problems.
And in the same way, he has told the mayor of Santander, Íñigo de la Serna --who has demanded a study on its effects on the environment of the Bay--, that "he is not the mayor of Cantabria", but that of his capital, a city that "has more pressing problems to deal with".
In addition, he has reproached him for not having translated his concern about wind development into initiatives in the Parliament of Cantabria, where he is a regional deputy.
REGIONAL ENERGY PLAN
In parallel, the Government continues to work on the elaboration of a new Regional Energy Plan, since the current one currently ends in 2011 and Cantabria must also adapt to the new national regulations.
Work is currently underway on the drafting phase, which is expected to be completed during the first quarter. Although it is not yet specified how many megawatts it amounts to, it will include both those contemplated in onshore wind and marine energy and other alternative energies, such as biomass, in addition to the "alterations" that have occurred in other projects such as combined cycles.
AWARDEES AND AREAS
In Campoo-Los Valles, they have been awarded: in zone A, for EDP Renovables. In zone B, Cantabria Generación; Caixa Nova group and Banco Galego. In zone C, to Engasa and Jealsa and Biobas.
In Puerto del Escudo, zone D, the successful bidder is Iberdrola Renovables, in partnership with the Cantabrian company Ocyener.
In Soba and Vega de Pas, zone E, it will house the future parks developed by Banco Santander and the Cantabrian companies Sniace and Helium.
In Alisas and Fuente Las Varas, zone F, the successful bidder is the company E.ON Renovables.
And, finally, those located in the Valleys of Buelna and Iguña, zone G, have been awarded to three Cantabrian companies: Actium, Apia XXI, ASCAN and Cleanenergy Cantabria. (EUROPA PRESS)
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