The Government of Aragon has estimated the investment in 48 wind projects, for a total of 1.667,90 MW, and twelve photovoltaic solar plants, located in the municipalities of Escatrón and Chiprana with a power of 549,02 MWp.
This momentum began almost a year ago when new criteria were approved to grant this declaration to investments in renewable energy.
Basically, it is about promoting the growth of renewable energies and simplifying the procedures related to the execution and its development in the administrations, in order to facilitate business initiatives. In addition, it benefits the mining areas and those projects awarded in state auctions processed by the Autonomous Community.
On average, for every megawatt installed, they represent an investment of one million euros and 3,8 jobs created in the construction phase.
Two of these parks will be installed in the Cuencas Mineras region, in the municipalities of Hearing, Valdeconejos, Jarque de la Val and Cuevas de Almudén with an investment of almost 80 million euros. In this specific case, the declaration of regional interest is that these investments contribute to replacing the coal mines.
The Department of Economy, Industry and Employment, through the General Directorate of Energy and Mines, has received 136 requests to install new wind farms in Aragon, for a total power of around 3.790 MW. An important part of these parks come from the company Forestalia, the great winner of the first 2 macro auctions of renewables that were held in Spain last year.
On the part of the solar companies, other 17 requests, for a total of 649,52 MWp of installed power. Among them are 12 of the projects, of 549,02 MWp, located in the municipalities of Escatrón and Chiprana.
In addition to promoting the attraction of renewable energy projects, in 2017 the Energy Cluster was launched in Aragon with the aim of promoting innovation and cooperation within this sector and gaining competitiveness.
This cluster is the eighth grouping of this category in the Community and it will bring together a sector that directly represents 5% of GDP and employs 7.200 people.
Forestry
The Forestalia Group was born in Zaragoza in 2011, the result of a long business career previous in the promotion of renewable energies, especially in energy crops and wind energy since 1997.
It currently has energy crops in Spain, France and Italy; build the largest pellet mill and splinter of the country in Erla (Zaragoza); promotes biomass electricity generation plants in Aragon, the Valencian Community and Andalusia, and various wind farms, especially in Aragon.
On January 14, 2016, the Forestalia Group was the largest winner of the auction of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism for the allocation of the specific remuneration scheme to new facilities for the production of electricity from wind and biomass technology. In wind energy, the Forestalia Group was awarded 300 MW, of the 500 MW auctioned; and in biomass, it obtained 108,5 MW of biomass, out of the 200 MW auctioned.
The emergence of the Forestalia Group in the energy market will produce very positive effects: Forestalia is committed to an open, competitive, transparent market, high efficiency, lower costs and, ultimately, more benefits in prices for the consumer
Family origin of the Group
The Jorge Group is among the five main companies in the Spanish pig sector, after having developed an incessant export activity, that represents more than 60% of its turnover, which exceeds 700 million euros. Of the total exports, 70% are destined for China, which is why Samper got to know the market in that country and was able to enter into negotiations with Gedi, the partner who accompanied him in the first electricity auction.
The current owners of the meat group, chaired by Sergio Samper and in which the other brothers (Jorge and Olga) also work, are the third generation. Grandpa, Tomas Samper Albala, began this meat empire selling piglets through the houses of Huesca. He was followed by his son Fernando Samper Pinilla, who gave him the name. Then came, with the current generation, diversification into the real estate, agricultural and energy sectors and the creation of divisions (Jorge Pork Meat, Jorge Green, Jorge Energy…).
To enter the energy business, the Sampers were they associated with Sinergy, a firm that would later go to E2 (absorbed by Danish Dong) and ended up in E.ON (now Viesgo). As a result of tree of renewable energies, the commitment to this sector is imposed.
