• The Bercian company will identify employment opportunities for professionals and suppliers affected by the closure of the old Compostilla thermal power plant, as well as the different mining operations related to coal in El Bierzo

Ponferrada (León), March 29, 2022.- GE Renewable Energy has joined the agreement signed by Capital Energy, Emobi Industries and Sodical, investment company and industrial and business revitalization of the Junta de Castilla and León, with the intention of exploring ways of collaboration to strengthen the role of renewable energies in the reindustrialization process of El Bierzo, strongly affected by the closure of mining and thermal power plants. 

Through this memorandum of understanding linked to the initial strategic agreement, it is expected that GE’s renewables division could supply part of the turbines necessary for the construction of Capital Energy’s wind farms in Castilla y León. In addition, and within the framework of the commitment made by Capital Energy with Emobi Industries at the beginning of February to promote the purchase of wind towers manufactured by the berciana among the suppliers of its facilities in the community, GE Renewable Energy would consider Emobi Industries a priority partner for these projects.

For its part, the manufacturer from Berciano undertakes to prioritize the hiring of local workers and suppliers in carrying out the aforementioned works, coordinating  together with Capital Energy and local and regional public administrations, the reconversion of profiles affected by the closure of thermal power plants and mining, as well as the incorporation into the labor market of the unemployed, young people and people over 55 years of age, as has been achieved already with the recent signing of an agreement with the main promoter of professional training in the region, the Santa Bárbara Foundation, attached to the Board, by which a direct employment exchange is created for the hiring of these profiles in the facilities of Emobi Industries. 

The signing ceremony, held at the offices of Capital Energy in the Madrid municipality of Pozuelo de Alarcón, was attended by the commercial director of GE Renewable Energy, Onshore Wind, in Southern Europe, Blanca Monteagudo; the regional director of energy in Castilla y León, Víctor Fernández; the CEO of Emobi Industries, Miguel Ángel Díaz; and the CEO of this company, Guillermo Bergareche.

Blanca Monteagudo has pointed out that “this agreement of intent reinforces our ambition to promote the wind industry in Spain and specifically, in El Bierzo. We are proud to contribute, together with Capital Energy, Emobi Industries and Sodical, to promote the reindustrialization of the region from a sector with such a future as renewable energies”.  

The joining of GE Renewable Energy strengthens the alliance between Capital Energy and Emobi Industries and could contribute to reinforcing activity at the wind tower plant in La Llanada, Ponferrada. As a result of the initial agreement, the Bercian company estimated that it could manufacture up to 15 tower sections per week starting this year in these facilities, where it also hopes to create up to 200 new jobs. 

In the next three years, it plans to reach a weekly production capacity of up to 45 sections, which would allow it to generate up to 600-800 direct jobs and 2,400 indirect jobs, thereby helping to position El Bierzo as a hub< /em> benchmark wind power at the international level. For this, it will have the support of Sodical, which will analyze with Emobi Industries the open public calls for the sector to which it could attend. On the other hand, Emobi Industries hopes to strengthen the project with the help of the Productive Industrial Investment Aid Fund (FAIIP), as well as expand collaboration with the Just Transition Institute (ITJ).