Spain: Government support for 79 innovative renewables projects in the manufacturing sector

The Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has selected 79 innovative renewable energy projects to be implemented in food and industry production sectors which will receive aid of more than €76 million. The projects range from the climate control of greenhouses with geothermal energy, to the production of synthetic fuel with green hydrogen, to solar plants for the production of beer, olive oil or cheese.

They will require a total investment of €162 million. MITECO's support for investment in renewables will be co-financed by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund), a fund aimed at strengthening economic and social cohesion in the EU and correcting imbalances.

The objectives of this aid are to improve the efficiency of industrial processes and to reduce energy costs, with an important influence on the competitiveness of the sectors by reducing their dependence on imported fuels. Furthermore, these investments, which will promote the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies, will consolidate activity and employment in the sectors that integrate these technologies.

Projects in six regions

Of the 79 projects provisionally awarded, the majority, 41, will be carried out in Andalucía (Table 1).

The budget allocated to the different regions responds to the availability of remaining ERDF funds for the 2014-2020 period, in which these calls are framed.

In them, priority has been given to the use of innovative technologies and applications that contribute to the decarbonisation of different manufacturing sectors. In addition to the innovative nature, the assessment criteria included other positive externalities associated with the projects, such as social and economic cohesion through job creation, rural development and the fight against depopulation.

Source: agrodiario.com