- The agreement envisages recovering abandoned olive trees in an area that traditionally used to produce its own olive oil. This will promote the local economy and prevent depopulation in rural areas.
- This initiative is part of the social-economic plan included in the Fair Transition Project for Pego that Endesa was awarded last year.
The oldest olive tree in the Iberian Peninsula today welcomed the signing of an agreement between Endesa and Apadrinaunolivo.org, which aims to recover 10,000 olive groves in the Abrantes area which is historically linked to the Pego coal-fired power station that was closed down at the end of 2021.
This collaboration agreement is part of the social-economic plan that Endesa included in its winning project for the Fair Transition tender for the Pego power station and was precisely an essential feature of the company's project that focussed not only on the development of renewable energy projects, but above all, social projects that would boost the local economy in an area in the process of energy transition.
This is what was said by Endesa's General Manager in Portugal, Guillermo Soler, and Pedro Almeida, the Manager of Endesa's Generation Business in Portugal and head of the Pego Fair Transition Project, who opened today's World Environment Day event, in a unique area such as Oliveira de Mouchao. They were accompanied by the mayor of Abrantes, Manuel Jorge Valamatos, the co-founder of Apadrinaunolivo.org, Sira Plana and the head of this NGO in Portugal, Joao Rijo, who formerly worked at the Pego power station and who has now joined this pioneering project in Portugal.
"This unique initiative in Portugal is a clear example of how we would like to transform the Abrantes region to build, together with a major renewable energy development, future opportunities closely related to the territory," said Guillermo Soler, Endesa's General Manager in Portugal, who pointed out the importance of "promoting actions together with the primary sector that generate new opportunities for the local population. This is the first step in the social-economic project that shows Endesa's commitment to fair transition after the closure of the Pego power station".
Along these same lines, Pedro Almeida, Manager of Endesa's Generation business in Portugal and Head of the Pego Fair Transition Project, pointed out that "the conservation of the olive grove is a key feature of Endesa's project for the Abrantes region, through this unique initiative that now reaches Portugal not only will it be possible to recover abandoned olive groves, but also to promote the local economy in the surrounding area that will also benefit from training courses that have already been organised within the framework of this ambitious project."
This was also acknowledged by the Mayor of Abrantes, Manuel Jorge Valamatos, who pointed out that "this project will enhance the creation of synergies between olive oil producers and will enable advantage to be taken of all the resources installed in the municipality, in a sector considered to be strategic for Abrantes".
Given the importance of these olive groves, the NGO Apadrina un Olivo (Sponsor an Olive Tree) that today celebrates its 9th anniversary, precisely on World Environment Day, launched an appeal "because the olive groves represent what we are and how we relate to our environment, so now we need sponsors who are prepared to maintain the legacy of our territory, to reconnect us with our identity, heritage and wealth. It is time to rewrite our history by sponsoring an olive tree," said Sira Plana, co-founder of Apadrinaunolivo.org.
Today's event has ended with a tour of an olive grove area that has already begun to recover in Abrantes and whose first recovered olive tree was sponsored by the mayor of the town. The delegation was guided by Joao Rijo, Head of apadrinhaumaoliveira.org in Portugal, who reminded everyone of his close link with the area.
"My connection with the olive oil tradition goes back a long way: My wife's family has olive trees and I have first-hand experience of what it is like to pick olives and take them to the mill. "I have always lived in this area. I used to work at the Pego power station and olive trees always played a secondary role in my life" he recalls. "It has taken 32 years for the olive trees to now play a leading role in my life and to no longer be secondary." "After my time at the Pego power station, the innovative 'Apadrina un olivo' project has helped me to learn and reconnect with the land and everything that surrounds us, we now stand face-to-face with our natural wealth."
Apadrinaunolivo from Oliete (Teruel) to Abrantes (Portugal)
Apadrinaunolivo.org is an NGO that started out in Oliete (Teruel) with the aim not only of recovering abandoned olive groves, but above all of fighting against rural depopulation and promoting the creation of a local economy. Endesa and Apadrinaunolivo.org began their collaboration as a result of the Fair Transition project in Andorra, for which the company was awarded a tender last year in Spain and whose essential feature was not only to switch from coal for renewable energies, but to do so with a pioneering local support plan
The company also applied this philosophy when it made a presentation for the same tender in Portugal and where it also proved to be a winning formula, since Endesa aims to continue being an essential part of the territories where it has a presence, generating shared value in society.
In Andorra, 50,000 olive trees will be recovered and in Pego the project initially envisages the recovery of 10,000 trees. In the Abrantes region, this action will involve the creation of 27 permanent jobs associated with the project, as well as reactivating the agricultural sector which until now was rather lethargic in this area.
It is estimated that in the Abrantes and Medio Tejo region there are up to 200,000 hectares of abandoned olive groves. The recovery of these trees will not only serve to promote the local economy, but will also contribute to the mitigation of fire risks in the area. What is more, apadrinhaumaoliveira.org will install its own olive oil mill in the area, as well as a canning factory and a composting unit in the Abrantes region, all of which will help in the fight against rural depopulation. The entity will launch a brand of extra virgin olive oil from the recovered olive groves and in the medium term will begin to produce jams and preserves from the orchards in the area.
This commitment has already made it possible to create 31 direct jobs in the Teruel area, of which 8 are new inhabitants in this rural area and 54% of the employment is for women. The olive oil mill opened in Oliete is available for 150 small olive growers and the tourism generated by the visits from the sponsors of the olive trees generates an annual tourism of 3,000 people between Oliete and Alacón.
This initiative is part of the Creation of Shared Value Plan (CSV) which Endesa includes in all its projects. The objective is to maximise the benefit for the surrounding communities through a series of initiatives that are developed as a result of a participatory process with local agents.
It is this philosophy that has made "Apadrina un olivo" Endesa's travel companion on the road to fair transition. For more information on Endesa's fair transition project in Pego, follow this link: https://www.endesa.com/es/proyectos/todos-los-proyectos/transicion-energetica/futur-e/transicion-justa-pego
About Endesa
Endesa is a leading electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. The company is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. Endesa operates an end-to-end electricity generation, distribution and marketing business. Through Endesa X, it also offers value-added services aimed at the electrification of energy usage in homes, companies, industries and Public Administrations. It is also the leading operator of charging stations in Spain through Endesa X Way, a business line dedicated entirely to electric mobility. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and strongly supports the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power España, the digitalisation of grids through e-distribución, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR. Our workforce numbers around 9,260 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, the largest electricity group in Europe.