- Miguel Temboury participated in a conference organised in As Pontes by the Fair Transition Institute.
Endesa today reaffirmed the role of wind energy in energy transition and in the social-economic development of northern Galicia. This was the main message launched this morning by Miguel Temboury, General Manager of Endesa Noroeste, in his speech at the forum organised in As Pontes by the Fair Transition Institute.
The Endesa manager said that some 750 newly created industrial jobs and the maintenance of another 551 current jobs at Alcoa in San Cibrao will be possible as a result of the 599 megawatts of wind power that Endesa will develop in the provinces of A Coruña and Lugo after being declared a priority by the Public Administration.
At the As Pontes meeting, Miguel Temboury presented Endesa's Futur-e Plan which will be the basis of the north of Galicia's recovery following the closure of the coal-fired plant. With this development programme, the electricity company guarantees that progress towards renewable energies will enable the reactivation of the Pontesa region, as well as Endesa remaining in the area despite the closure of the thermal plant.
The above-mentioned plant already has official permission to close for two of the groups, while the two others will remain available for a few more months until certain requirements established by the Ministry of Ecological Transition are met. It may not be long before this happens, since the contracts with the auxiliary companies operating in the plant will only be in force until next June and, as Mr Temboury revealed, "throughout this winter it has largely not been necessary for the plant to be operative." The fact is, the As Pontes thermal plant is the only one in Spain that has not yet been authorised to close after more than three years.
According to Miguel Temboury, Endesa has reached an agreement with the multinational company Sentury Tire to supply electricity generated by wind energy at a competitive and stable price, which will make the tyre factory viable and generate 750 direct jobs. Endesa had previously agreed with this Chinese company to set up in As Pontes, and with this in mind made available 26 hectares of industrial land. Sentury Tire will invest €477 million in this project, while Endesa will need to assign a further €229 million to build the wind farms to supply the new industrial complex with electricity.
The other major project linked to Endesa's wind farm developments for Alcoa to remain in San Cibrao, where the 551 existing jobs need to be protected. Both companies are now linked through a PPA supply agreement in which the A Mariña complex will cover 33% of their needs. Endesa will also integrate and manage energy for other companies that supply Alcoa.
According to Miguel Temboury, the electricity "will come from a portfolio of wind energy projects that will come into operation in 2024: 450 megawatts of wind power in the region of As Pontes and qualified as essential by the Regional Government of Galicia and being processed by the Central Administration, and a further 149 MW in the Belesar area that are being processed at the regional level. The General Manager of Endesa Noroeste went on to add that those 599 megawatts will provide support for the creation of 750 direct jobs resulting from the activities of Sentury Tire and will help preserve the 551 jobs at Alcoa. This should clarify the wealth generated by wind energy in Galicia".
Endesa's wind projects will not only have a positive effect on the generation and maintenance of industrial employment in the North of Galicia, the renewable energy developments that the company is planning in the community will also create their own jobs. In his speech in As Pontes Miguel Temboury estimated that the new wind farms will result in 214 direct jobs. 1,826 workers will be required during the construction phase.
About Endesa
Endesa is the largest 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 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. A new business line has also been created, Endesa X Way, fully dedicated 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-distribution, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR-related matters. Our workforce numbers around 9,260 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, the largest electricity group in Europe.