Replica of the Galatea Park promoted by Endesa in La Jonquera. ENDESA
Endesa will begin construction of a wind farm in La Jonquera in 2024 after the Department of Climate Action yesterday announced its approval of the environmental impact statement for its Galatea project. Nine wind turbines with a total capacity of 49 megawatts (Mw) will be erected on unprotected areas on the Albera mountain range. But above all, these towers, which are up to 200 meters high, represent the end of the taboo that had led to the fact that the large electricity requirements of the Empordà tourism industry and the province of Girona as a whole could hardly progress without large generating plants in the area, some cogeneration plants that are equipped with industries are connected. And that is because there has been historical resistance from local bodies and even city councils to this type of proposal.
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The Generalitat Renewable Energy Presentation, created as a result of the law on the subject adopted by the government in 2019, was the battering ram that broke through this wall of Girona. Its technicians accept as good the actions of the electricity company, which will build and operate the park through its subsidiary Enel Green Power Spain, giving a conditional yes, which the company has already promised. One of these clauses seeks to compensate for the felling of holm oaks required to erect the windmills at three times the expense, and the other requires sharing of the power diversion that Endesa must build itself to put its wind turbines to good use. This line, and the commitment to share it, suggests that the Generalitat desires more parks in the area.
According to the Iaeden-Salvem l’Empordà platform, one of the organizations that have expressed their opposition to the Endesa project, there are two other wind farms in the pipeline in the region: one of 20 MW in the municipality of Capmany and another with 30 MW in the community of kehle.
A company spokeswoman took the operation for granted, which was associated with a payment of 50 million euros. In order to comply with the law passed in 2019, Endesa itself initiated a procedure for local administrations, entities or companies to participate in the financing of the park through interest-bearing loans from 4%, with contributions ranging from 500 to 25,000 euros.
The Galatea project will be the first approach of renewable energies to the Costa Brava, and some players in the energy sector hope that it will not be the only one in the coming weeks. After some statements by the third vice-president and minister for ecological transition, Teresa Ribera, there is speculation that the Council of Ministers will soon approve the Plan for the Management of the Mediterranean (POEM). This is a document that should allow the construction of offshore wind farms and Catalonia, and in particular the Empordà, will be valid locations for this type of initiative in this area, considered an area of high potential for offshore wind energy. Once approved, the projects that have already come to light will become more solid, which will have to receive administrative approval in the renewable energy auctions that the government subsequently tenders.
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Currently, three developers have expressed interest in settling off the coast of Roses and Jaume Morron, chief executive of the employers’ association EolicCat, is convinced that the proposed mills will be running until 2030, mainly due to the state’s interest in decarbonising the Spanish economy, and marine facilities have an important role to play in this goal.
The Tramuntana project, promoted by the companies Blue Float Energy and Sener, envisaged in its first approach, finally to win the favor of the local authorities, a park with a capacity of 1,000 MW, which would cover about 90% of the total needs Girona province.
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