Endesa, through its renewable energy division, Enel Green Power España (EGPE), has presented the Galatea Wind Farm project that the Company has proposed building in the town to local residents of La Jonquera, in Alt Empordà. At the informative session, attendees listened to the presentation in the hope of resolving their doubts and concerns, while an offer was made encouraging local participation as established under Decree Law 24/2021 of the Catalan Government, which provides for the acceleration of the roll-out of distributed renewable energies in which a holding is retained and which introduces amendments to Decree Law 16/2019.
The renewable energy complex, entailing an investment of around 40 million euros in the region, would have a total power of 49 MW and consist of 9 wind turbines, outside the protected natural spaces in the region, in addition to the access roads for reaching them. The project, which includes the wind farm and its electrical evacuation infrastructure to Figueres, started to take shape last year and represents the evolution of an initial design submitted to the Administration. Following the requirements and suggestions of the Administration, the Company has submitted new documentation to proceed with the process.
The availability of wind resources in the area would help to contribute clean energy to the energy system in a region that only generates 2% of the energy it consumes, where there is very limited electricity generation and in a province, Girona, where there are currently no wind farms. The facilities would generate around 140 GWh/year, equivalent to satisfying the annual electricity consumption of half the homes in Alt Empordà. In other words, this would prevent the emission of 116 thousand tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere per year.
The construction of this wind farm means more than just producing clean energy, as the sustainability plans involved include the use of the circular economy in construction and would employ the best practices and experiences garnered and applied in the development of similar projects in other regions. This would have a positive impact on the surrounding ecosystem as well as on social factors. As part of the construction, maintenance and operation of renewable plants, a shared value creation (SVC) model is employed, integrating the priorities and needs of local communities with projects that include social and environmental measures and, in turn, promote the energy transition.
The informative meeting was held at Teatre Societat "Unió Jonquerenca", on loan from the board of trustees, and was attended by local residents from the municipality and the region who were provided with details of the project. In this connection, the Endesa team in charge of the project has shared details about its design and construction, and has responded to questions raised by attendees. Beforehand, the Company also shared the project with La Jonquera town hall, encouraging local participation before publishing the project for the purposes of public information in the Official Gazette of the Catalan Government. The project is currently in the processing phase; if all authorisations are secured, it could potentially come online in mid-2024.
During the almost two hours that the informative session lasted, the Company encourages local residents to become involved, offering the possibility of participating in the financing of the renewable wind farm in exchange for a share of the profits, as established in the recent regulations approved by the Catalan government. Furthermore, an explanation was provided of the economic benefits for the in terms of taxation, estimated at more than 7 million euros, and the recruitment and training of local residents and businesses. It is believed that hundreds of specialist jobs will be generated directly, as well as indirectly during the construction phase.
Endesa currently manages a renewable capacity of more than 7,794 MW in Spain through EGPE, including: 4,745 MW of hydraulic power; 2,422 MW of wind power, 624 MW of solar power, and 3 MW from other renewable sources.
Enel Green Power, a part of the Enel Group, is engaged in the development and operation of renewable energy production worldwide, with a presence in Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Oceania. It is a global leader in green energy and has installed capacity of around 49 GW with a generation mix that includes wind, solar, geothermal and hydroelectric power and it is spearheading the integration of innovative technology at its renewable energy plants.
Endesa is the leading electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. It is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. It is an integrated business operation that encompasses everything from generation to marketing, and through Endesa X it provides added value services aimed at decarbonising the energy used in homes, companies, industries and government agencies. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and as a result decisively promotes the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power Spain, the electrification of the economy and Corporate Social Responsibility. We also work in the latter area through the Endesa Foundation. We have around 10,000 employees. Endesa is part of Enel, the largest electricity group in Europe.
