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The City of the Dollar
Workshops and Desulphurisation Plant, where the sulphur is removed from the smoke before it leaves the chimney.
The car park at Compostilla II, the coal-fired electricity production complex in Cubillos del Sil, in Castile-León, has no free spaces these days. At the dismantling of the 1341 MW thermal power plant, one of the largest in the country and an economic point of reference for the Bierzo region, there is a hustle and bustle reminiscent of the years when it was producing at full capacity. That was before the regulations on greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere were tightened and the price for CO2 emissions became prohibitive.
The objective of the closure of the infrastructure that rises over a plain at the tail of the Bárcena reservoir is to free up industrial land to be used for other projects that will generate future opportunities in the area. This is what is known as Endesa's Futur-e plan and will also entail the development of renewable power in the surrounding area. Emilio Ares, who is part of the Endesa team to undertake this dismantling, awaits us in a large office. He has returned home, to Ponferrada, for a task which is very sentimental for him. We talk with him while touring what used to be but are no longer sections of the plant.
"When I read the instalment talking about "The Legacy We Will Leave" referring to the Andorra thermal power plant in Teruel, an image similar to the one alluded to by the protagonist immediately came to mind and that I already have: That of my grandfather coming here with one of the first parts of the turbine for the construction of Compostilla II and the me, with that same part in the background, when they take it away to continue with the demolition of the complex. My whole family is from Ponferrada and I represent the third generation working for Endesa. My grandfather worked for the company, as well as my father, my brother, my uncles, etc. So, obviously, this is not just another destination for me, it is a very special assignment."
Detail of the interior of the old chimney in group 3.
I started working at this plant for a subsidiary of Endesa when I was 18 years old and at the age of 20 I was already part of the Endesa family. First in the Engineering department and for the last 15 years I have worked in the UPOM (Projects, Works and Assemblies Unit), on projects away from Ponferrada. I have gone back to my origins for this dismantling. My grandfather had also emigrated in his time and returned to Ponferrada for the construction of the Bárcena hydroelectric power station. He was a lorry driver and found his first job with Endesa in 1944 when the company was founded here. And then my father started when he as 14 years old at the school for apprentices, which was a kind of professional training focussed on a specific job within the company, and he retired when he was 64, having worked there for 50 years, having held a number of positions in Compostilla I and Compostilla II.
I created this small family album to illustrate the importance that Endesa has had in my family, which is the same as it has been for most of us who are from around here. In 2018 the Town Council of Ponferrada proposed a name for the exhibition "Ponferrada, city of the dollar", which was the nickname given to it in the 1950s when there was unprecedented economic and social development. Suddenly, it became the first town in Spain with regard to demographic growth and many people came here from elsewhere (58% of the population was born outside the municipality), because a huge amount of jobs were generated. That I think is an excellent example of the wealth that was created in this area. And everything revolved around Endesa.
Group II turbine hall.
Now another cycle is beginning. A stage is closing so we can convert to energy production through other technologies and I really have faith in the outcome of the Futur-e plan for this area. Endesa has always been committed to this region. There are overwhelming historical links. El Bierzo is kilometre 0 for our company. And in the same way that a solution has been found for the workers at the plant, for the people working for the contracts, I am convinced that projects will be found that are important enough to continue providing opportunities for the next generations in the future.
On a personal level I had participated in major projects, such as the construction of a combined cycle plant with 1,000 MW of installed power and an investment of €500 million, so when I was called on to participate in the demolition of Compostilla II I said: "I must be doing something wrong, I am going down to a lower level". But as soon as I started, I realised that this type of project is not easy to manage and will involve a significant learning curve for me.
Coal hoppers Groups I and II: Where the coal was deposited before sending it to the mills.
In our unit we work with high-level suppliers from all over the world and you really learn a lot. It is what I like most about my job. When it comes to major projects, companies send their best people and from the best it is impossible not to learn. And exactly the same thing happens with a demolition, because something that appears to be very simple at an engineering level, from the occupational and environmental safety point of view may well be very complex.
During the process that we undertook to demolish groups 1 and 2, for example, the documentation we had came from the time they were constructed in the 1950s and 1960s. It was not very complete and unforeseen events happened every day. Everything that is in plain sight is easy to evaluate, but everything that is hidden away always brings surprises. And this is how I imagine the future for this area in the coming years, a road full of pleasant surprises.
Emilio Ares Bolado
Demolition Project Supervisor C.T. Compostilla II
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