The Board declares the future photovoltaic energy park between Gibraleón and Trigueros to be of strategic interest | Heconomia.es - Economic and business information on Huelva

The regional Executive has declared a portfolio of projects related to renewable energy in eight municipalities of Cádiz, Huelva, Granada, Málaga and Seville to be of strategic interest to Andalusia, representing an estimated investment of 640 million euros and the generation of 2,119 jobs during the planning, construction and operation phases of the infrastructures. Among the 8 initiatives that will have the backing of the regional government, is the photovoltaic energy park in the province of Huelva, located between the towns of Gibraleón and Trigueros, where the project with the greatest power and greatest investment has been designed, with 420 MW and 260 million euros.

The Ministry of Economic Transformation, Industry, Knowledge and Universities has informed the Governing Council of the authorization granted by the Delegate Commission for Economic Affairs to these initiatives promoted by the Iberdrola Group. The declaration of strategic interest implies the preferential impulse in the administrative processing of the permits and authorization necessary to develop these relevant business projects. The objective pursued is that the investment does not lose its opportunity to establish itself in Andalusia and is not relocated to other environments.

The objective of this package of projects is the construction and start-up of seven photovoltaic solar energy parks and one wind farm that, together, have a total capacity of 995 MW. This production capacity will allow the generation of around 2,159 Gwh/year of renewable origin per year, which will mean a reduction in CO2 emissions of 780 Tm/year.

The execution of the eight energy parks until the first half of 2024 will lead to the creation of 1,476 full-time equivalent jobs during the construction phase and another 200 in the operation phase from the year 2024. Likewise, the generation of 443 indirect and induced jobs is expected.

8 energy parks for AndalusiaWith regard to photovoltaic infrastructures, in addition to the project designed in Huelva, the Junta supports another seven Andalusian energy parks. In the province of Cádiz, specifically in Medina Sidonia, a 30 MW plant will be located with an investment of 20 million euros. The municipalities of Cacín and Ventas de Huelma in Granada will house a 300 MW installation for which an outlay of 185 million has been planned.

For its part, the four remaining photovoltaic plants are located in the province of Seville, all in Castilblanco de los Arroyos: the first will have 59 MW and will involve an investment of 39 million, while the other three will have 50 MW and 31 million budget, respectively. In total, they add up to 209 MW and 132 million.

The investments allocated by the Iberdrola Group for each of these seven actions also include the construction of the electrical installations necessary to evacuate the energy produced to the connection point with the transmission grid.

On the other hand, the wind power plant will be built in the municipalities of Martín de la Jara (Sevilla) and Campillos (Málaga), with a capacity of 36 MW and an investment of 43 million euros.

In the support given to this business investment, the Andalusian Government has considered its future contribution to territorial cohesion and socioeconomic development of the municipalities in which it is located relevant, mostly rural, thus improving their rates of unemployment and the level of employability of its population. The sustainable and innovative nature of the proposal has also been taken into account, which is part of the sustainable development objectives set by European, state and community guidelines.

In addition, it allows Andalusia to reduce its dependence on foreign and fossil fuels, favoring energy diversification and efficiency, as well as the transition towards a green economy, in which renewable sources play a greater role. Similarly, emphasis has been placed on the opportunity that this segment of renewable energy represents, constituting an engine of economic growth for the region.

Taking this last supported project into consideration, since 2019 the Board has processed the approval of ten large strategic projects, which have an associated global investment of 3,443 million and the creation of 9,676 jobs.

Spain, among the countries with the highest energy dependence Spain is among the EU countries with the highest rate of energy dependence, since it needs to import 70.5% of the energy it consumes, well above the 53.2 % of community average, according to Eurostat. This situation means that renewable energy initiatives are taken into consideration when carrying out energy planning in different countries and regions.

The main international agreements to which Spain is bound, and therefore Andalusia, mainly seek a reduction in the rate of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the need to develop projects with indigenous sources to guarantee energy supply and reduce foreign dependency.

In addition, according to the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan 2021-2030, submitted to the European Commission, Spain's goal for 2030 is to achieve a 23% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990, on 42 % of renewables over total energy consumption, 39.5% improvement in energy efficiency and 74% renewable energy in electricity generation.