The energy company offers 906.3 MW of wind energy produced in the territory, which will employ some 60 people for its operation and maintenance, promoting the hiring of local labor.
Endesa and Alcoa have signed a preliminary agreement for the supply of 100% renewable energy for 10 years for the primary aluminum plant that the US multinational has in San Ciprián, on the north coast of Galicia. The supply will begin in 2024, the date on which Alcoa plans to restart its production and start the electrolysis tanks after two years of stoppage. The pre-agreement offers a stable and competitive rate and provides for the supply of up to 1,349 GWh for each of the 10 years, equivalent to a base load capacity of 154 MW. To assume this commitment, Endesa will do so in the most sustainable way possible through the wind energy projects that the company’s renewable subsidiary, Enel Green Power España (EGPE), is processing in Galicia and that will generate more than 900 MW of new renewable capacity, creating jobs during its construction and the employability of some 60 people for its operation and maintenance, in which the hiring of local labor will prevail. The wind energy projects associated with this collaboration, executed by Enel Green Power Spain, have access and connection to the Transmission Network and are in the administrative process. In this sense, the Xunta de Galicia has been informed of the pre-agreement between both companies and will take care of the coordination for the progress of the project to the full satisfaction of all the parties involved. The bilateral pre-agreement is part of Alcoa’s plan to reactivate the production of primary aluminum in San Ciprián from 2024 in a context of rising energy prices, ensuring stable prices that help the competitiveness of the Galician industry and to the Alcoa San Ciprián industrial complex, established in 1980 between the Lugo municipalities of Cervo and Xove. “Long-term contracts have become a fundamental tool to mitigate risks linked to prices and provide long-term stability in the coverage of our customers’ energy needs,” says Javier Uriarte, General Director of Marketing at Endesa. In addition, he adds that “this instrument, together with advice on energy markets, allows us to consolidate our relationship with Alcoa with this new pre-contract that reaffirms the commitment of both companies to sustainability and the socioeconomic development of Galicia. This community is one of Endesa’s historical territories, so it is a very special satisfaction for us to be able to contribute with our supply to ensure the activity of a company as important as Alcoa”.
Commitment to sustainability Endesa is firmly committed to the energy transition and has advanced the commitment to zero emissions ten years to 2040, anticipating the limit set by the European Union to eliminate greenhouse gases by a decade. Already in 2024, 92% of Endesa’s peninsular energy production will be free of CO2 emissions. In fact, the energy company currently has 565 megawatts installed in Galicia distributed among 23 wind farms, whose production last year totaled 1,386 GWh. And it is that the decarbonization process is changing the way of producing electricity, where the company has made the decision to close all the thermal plants in Spain, giving over to renewable parks and carrying out a fair transition. The As Pontes plant in A Coruña will be an example of this: through the Plan Futur-e Endesa will mitigate the impact of said transition and reactivate the socioeconomic fabric of the north of the province of A Coruña. Endesa’s commitment to sustainability is also reflected in the fact that 89% of the investment planned for the next three years is directly related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, thus aligning its sustainability strategy to this framework universal. Endesa currently manages, through the EGPE, 8,389 MW of installed renewable capacity in Spain, including: 4,672 MW of conventional hydropower; 2,546 MW of wind power, 1,097 MW of solar power, 75 MW of mini-hydraulic power.
