Endesa has presented the formal request of closure of coal-fired power plants located in As Pontes (A Coruña) and Carboneras (Almeria). According to the company, this locking is due to the deep changes of market conditions (there has been a substantial increase in the price of the CO2-rights and a significant drop in the price of gas), that in his judgment “has led to that these power stations have suffered a significant lack of competitiveness in the coverage of the market demand and that, therefore, has accentuated their exclusion from this”.
For these reasons, and given the clear absence of prospects of improvement in the future, the company had already anticipated in September, to markets and to institutional authorities and social agents, the decision to promote the discontinuity of the activity of these plants. Since that time, Endesa has been analyzing alternatives of operation of the plants through the use of biomass, which, however, have not proved satisfactory, both from a technical point of view and the environmental, economic, which makes them impractical.
This has led to the filing of the application for closure, although the company reserves the right of withdrawal of this request, in whole or in part, on the assumption that, as a result of the additional testing of combustion with different fuel blends, both in the central of As Pontes, as in the Carboneras, which will be held in the coming months, could vary the results and ensure the viability of the plants.
“The request is fully consistent with the objective of achieving an energy system is fully decarbonized by 2050, a commitment shared and supported by the company and by all the countries that have signed the agreements of the Summit in Paris, COP21,” the statement added.
Prior to submitting the close request, the company has informed the representatives of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, the authorities of the autonomous community of Andalusia and Galicia and of the municipalities in which are located the plants. Until the authorization of closure, the plants will give out progressively to the carbon that they have stored.
In parallel to the request, Endesa has been presented to each plant, on a voluntary basis project of actions to mitigate the impact caused by the decrease of activity, Plan Futur-e, designed to promote the development of economic activities and employment generation in the areas in which are located the two plants. The company has stressed that these proposals are open to include a flexible new initiatives viable that might be proposed hereafter in order to achieve these objectives of development of the zones of the plants, adding its efforts to the initiatives and leadership of Public Administrations.
Relocation
In the framework of the established plans in the Futur-e, Endesa will respect the job of all employees of the two plants, 174 in the case of As Pontes and 113 in Carboneras. In particular, open processes of relocation and have already begun training measures to improve the technical training of the employees, which will also be taken into account for the work of dismantling the power plants and future operation and maintenance of the new parks renewable.
with Respect to auxiliary companies that are currently service to the plants of As Pontes and Carboneras, Endesa will prioritize the recruitment of people from the environment in order to undertake the work of dismantling of both plants once approved the request, as well as in the development of new renewable energy facilities that are proposed to be carried out in the areas of the two plants. For these people are provided additional programs of training that will be implemented for the generation of local employment. In addition, the company will promote to the implementation of its new renewable projects purchase of materials from local suppliers which will boost the industrial development of the green zone.
For the dismantling of the facilities As Pontes (four groups of generation) is estimated to last around four years, plus the pre-assignments, that will create around 130 direct jobs with working tips of up to 200 people. In the case of the plant of Carboneras, which has two groups, the dismantling of the facilities provided for a duration of 3 years, after about 18 months of preparatory work, which will generate about 110 direct jobs, with peaks of up to 160 people.
in Addition, plans for the Futur-e of the company include high investments in renewable energy projects. Specifically, Endesa intends to develop up to 1.505 MW of new wind capacity in Galicia between 2020 and 2026, with an estimated investment of 1,581 million euros and a generation of more than 1,250 jobs on average annually over the 6 years of the construction phase and 125 for the operation and maintenance during the next 25 years. This capacity, already confirmed the connection of 165 MW, with an estimated investment of 173 million euros and a creation of 825 new jobs in construction.
In the case of the plant of Carboneras, the company has an interest in the construction in the province of Almería solar parks pv and wind farms with an output of over 1,520 MW, with an estimated investment of more than 1,200 million euros, which would generate around 700 direct jobs on average annually over the 6 years of the construction phase and 110 for the operation and maintenance during the next 25 years. Of this capacity, there are already 250 MW with connection confirmed by REE. In addition, it gives other 2.535 MW renewable in the rest of Andalusia in the period 2020-2026. In total, it is estimated that these more than 4.000 MW in Andalusia will provide about 1,700 jobs annual average in the 6 years of the construction phase with a total investment of more than 3,000 million euros.
The company, within this Plan Futur-e, includes also the search for business alternatives to the current facilities. Through an international contest of ideas and projects, seeks to promote enterprises, institutions and other public and private stakeholders could present viable alternatives, through a participatory process, transparent and open, to search for investment projects and creation of sustainable jobs in the location of plants.
In this program of economic revitalization of the site, which is developed through an international competition with high involvement of regional and local actors (already launched and the deadline for submission of proposals opened in the case of Compostilla, in Lion), any interested party may submit a conversion project. The evaluation of these it is the responsibility of an independent committee that would also include a significant representation of the agents, autonomic and local.
