With the support of IDEPA, the office will be located in the Scientific & Technological Park of Gijón
China Three Gorges (CTG), the largest renewable energy group in China, chooses Asturias to establish an engineering division to oversee all of its energy constructions in Europe.
CTG is boosting the production of green energy and will open a technical office in Gijón for construction supervision, commissioning, and technical support activities.
To establish itself in Asturias, China Three Gorges has received the support of the Economic Development Agency of Asturias (IDEPA). The office will be located in the Impulsa Building, a business incubator belonging to the Gijón City Council and placed next to the former Universidad Laboral.
Why Asturias: low turnover rate and technical qualifications of workers
CTG Europe is a strategic partner of EDP Energía, with a strong presence in Asturias (EDP’s Spanish headquarters are in Oviedo). CTG is the largest shareholder (19.03%) of the Portuguese company, and has made significant investments in other clean energy generation platforms in Spain, Portugal, Germany, the United Kingdom and Greece.
— Its geostrategic location and the strength and capabilities of the industry and advanced services, among the advantages of Asturias to attract investment in this sector
— The Wind Energy fair in Hamburg showcased the strengths of a sector that will be key to the region’s energy transition
— The Government of Asturias is committed to the development of sustainable offshore wind projects that coexist with current uses, such as fishing activities
A few days ago, we attended the Wind Energy fair in Hamburg to show the great potential of Asturias in the value chain associated with the development of wind energy. A sector that will be key to the transformation of the productive model of our region.
Its geostrategic location for the settlement of companies linked to this sector or the power and capabilities of industry and advanced services associated with wind energy production activities are among the strengths and competitive advantages of Asturias.
Eleven Asturian companies attended Wind Energy as expert suppliers of equipment and components in this area, nine at the stand of the Trade Promotion Agency of the Principality of Asturias (ASTUREX):
Asturfeito, Duro Felguera, IDONIAL Centro Tecnológico, IDESA, Isastur, KLK Electromateriales, Mecainsa, Mecanizados CAS and Oxiplant.
As part of Asturian delegation, Gondán Shipbuilders and Windar Renewables had their own exhibition spaces.
Asturias explores offshore wind collaborations with Brandenburg and Scotland
During the Wind Energy fair we met Hendrik Fischer, State Secretary for Energy of the Brandenburg Ministry of Economy, Labour and Energy.
We talked mainly about the needs of this German federal state that could be met by companies from Asturias. Brandenburg has had the fastest development of wind energy in Germany, with 4,000 wind turbines currently installed, totalling 7,700 MW.
Enrique Fernández, Regional Minister of Industry, Employment, and Economic Promotion, undertook to deepen the contact established between the two territories to promote the supply of products and services of Asturian companies, as well as to attract new projects to Asturias.
We also held a meeting with Ivan McKee, Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism, and Enterprise of the Scottish Government. With Minister McKee, we shared our views on green hydrogen and onshore and offshore wind energy, which are key for both territories.
Our agenda also included meetings with relevant companies in the sector, such as the Canadian company Northland Power, the Danish company Vestas, the German companies Liebherr and Enercon and the Spanish-German company Siemens Gamesa.
We also met with Mario Buisán García and Pilar Muñoz, from the Spanish Economic and Commercial Office in Berlin, and with the Association of Metal Industries and Associated Technologies of Galicia (Asime).
Asturias’ attractiveness for wind energy investment
At the Wind Energy fair in Hamburg we showed why Asturias is an attractive place for investment in activities related to the wind energy sector. Among the strengths of our territory are:
Geostrategic location.
Power and capabilities of the industry and advanced services associated with wind energy production activities: manufacture of support vessels for offshore wind farms, manufacture of structures and components for wind farms, engineering companies with the capacity to design and develop on and offshore wind farms and offer technological solutions in structural integrity. The Asturian companies participating in the Fair are a good example of these strengths.
Attractive industrial environment for potential investors.
Technology centres supporting R&D activities.
Port infrastructures for the transport of wind turbine structures (very bulky and heavy).
Extensive network of industrial areas in which to set up.
Industrial culture that distinguishes Asturian workers.
All these factors represent a great competitive advantage for Asturias compared to other European regions in terms of attracting investment in activities linked to wind energy production.
Six reasons to promote offshore wind energy in Asturias
The Regional Minister lists six reasons for the installation of offshore wind farms in Asturias:
To contribute to achieving the objectives set in the energy transition process.
To maintain the security and quality of supply and compensate for the closures of thermal power stations.
Without coal, the only abundant energy resource in Asturias is wind.
For the expected increase in economic activity, considering not only the energy sector.
Because of the net generation of employment, in order to compensate for the workforce lost due to the dismantling of the regional coal chain.
Because it offers Asturian companies an opportunity to access or consolidate their position in a market with enormous potential for development in the coming years.
A commitment to sustainable offshore wind projects that coexist with fishing in Asturias
The Regional Government has already submitted a limited zoning proposal for offshore wind energy to the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition.
The objective of the regional authorities is to have 0.7 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power installed in Asturias in the coming years, with offshore wind turbines and in two limited areas: off Gijón and on the West coast.
Regional minister Enrique Fernández considers that offshore wind farms represent an “opportunity for the future” for companies and will help to create more sustainable value chains.
A thousand jobs in Asturias depend on offshore wind energy
One thousand jobs in Asturias depend on offshore wind and 50% more are expected. Another 2,000 are also linked to the sector, in addition to ArcelorMittal, that supplies sheet metal for the manufacture of wind power plants.
The land for the expansion of the Port of Gijón El Musel and the Logistics and Industrial Activities Zone (ZALIA), with a direct train connection to the port, are two of Asturias’ great assets in the energy wind sector.
Its use as an energy vector will be key to the green, digital and sustainable transformation of our region’s production model
Last week we assisted in Gijón to the meeting with the Asturian industrial technical engineers, collegiate at the COGITIPA, sharing a common thread: green hydrogen as a vector for energy transition and a lever for change in the Asturias production model.
The conference, held within the framework of the Asturias International Trade Fair (FIDMA, organized by the Gijón Chamber of Commerce), highlighted the great opportunity that green hydrogen represents for Asturias as a clean and sustainable energy generator and as a driver of economic activity and employment.
“Green hydrogen can mean for Asturias what coal meant for it”, said Enrique Fernández, Regional Minister of Industry, Employment, and Economic Promotion of the Government of Asturias, in his speech. For the minister, Asturias must diversify its energy sources and accelerate their implementation in order to move towards the transformation of its economy, in line with the guidelines of the European Union.
Our region, said Fernández, has everything it needs to be at the forefront of the “hydrogen race”. Asturias has leading companies (some with foreign capital) involved in the hydrogen value chain, producers of this green energy, water to supply the processes, infrastructures, large consumers of the energy produced, and the talent and the capabilities to continue advancing in this field.
The hydrogen plans and capabilities of large companies in Asturias
At the conference, we learned about the plans and capabilities in the field of hydrogen and decarbonization of five large Asturian companies or with a strong presence in our region: EDP Renewables, Enagás, ArcelorMittal, IDESA and TSK.
The Portuguese-owned energy company EDP Renewables presented its plans related to hydrogen for Asturias. The aim is to replace the thermal power plants of Soto de Ribera and Aboño. EDP wants Aboño to be the epicentre of the “Asturias Hydrogen Valley”, including electrolysis and photovoltaic plants, hydrogen storage plants and a hydrogen plant for heavy transport. In Soto de Ribera, and to complement the Aboño project, an electrolysis plant, combined gas cycles or hydroscrews would also be installed. The company’s expectations are to reach 1,000 MW of renewable energy installed in Asturias by 2030.
As for Enagás, the most relevant aspect today in Asturias is its participation in the HyDeal Spain consortium, which will be the first industrial implementation of the HyDeal Ambition platform in Europe. It will supply Asturian industry with renewable hydrogen for the production of green steel, green ammonia, green fertilizers and other low-carbon industrial products. Enagás’ presence in HyDeal, the world’s largest integrated renewable and competitive hydrogen hub, is crucial for the development of hydrogen transport and storage infrastructures. The company is also finalizing preparations for the start-up of its regasification plant at the Port of El Musel in Gijón.
Steel giant ArcelorMittal has also made a huge bet on the HyDeal project, which it hopes will give it access to the volume of green hydrogen needed to progress on its decarbonization roadmap for steel production in Spain. ArcelorMittal has a macro project in the pipeline to reduce CO₂ emissions generated in Spain by 50% by 2025. At the heart of the plan is the construction in Gijón of a direct reduction iron ore (DRI) plant with green hydrogen, which will have a production capacity of 2.3 million tonnes per year. It will be complemented by a hybrid electric furnace with a capacity of 1.1 million tonnes. The planned investment is €1 billion.
The Asturian company IDESA, one of the most important companies in the design and manufacture of capital goods worldwide, is finding its opportunity as part of the value chain in green hydrogen through knowledge. IDESA manufactures storage solutions and develops the installation works. It is currently collaborating with Iberdrola on Europe’s largest green hydrogen complex for industrial use, located in Puertollano. IDESA actively participated in the design of the H₂ storage generated by the electrolysers and signed a first contract for the supply of five storage tanks.
Finally, the Asturian engineering company TSK is also involved in the development of the HyDeal España project. HyDeal España has selected TSK to provide technical support to the project as engineering representative of the platform, in the role of Owner’s Engineer. TSK will be the technological partner of the promoter consortium and will participate in various phases of the project, including the development and construction of the hydrogen production plants planned by HyDeal.
The ultimate goal of all these strategies and projects is to join the collective effort towards a green, digital and sustainable transformation of the productive model of Asturias, always putting industry, innovation and sustainability on the table.
The Argentinian technology multinational chooses the Gijón Science Technology Park to serve customers in Europe and Latin America
TSOFT announced this morning the set-up of an international Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Asturias. The Argentinean technology multinational has chosen the Gijón Science Technology Park to set up a centre that will create thirty highly qualified jobs.
The CoE in Gijón will offer NearShore services for all customers in Spain and OffShore services for customers outside Spain, making it one of the first DevOps expert centres in our country with 24×7 coverage. It will be the first TSOFT´s IT solutions development centre outside Latin America.
The office will be located in the Technology Park of Asturias, in Llanera, where Indaer expects to create up to ten highly qualified jobs
The Colombian aeronautical multinational Indaer has just opened a new brand, permanent office in Asturias. A project advised within the framework of the Invest in Asturias programme by the Economic Development Agency of the Principality of Asturias (IDEPA), aimed at attracting investment to our region.
The opening reinforces the presence in Europe and the Middle East of Indaer, a leading company in aircraft lifecycle support solutions.
US company Glatfelter, owner of the Asturian factory, receives a 1.89 million euro grant to improve energy efficiency
Sontara Asturias is undertaking an investment of 7.63 million euros in its Tamón factory in order to increase the speed of its line of nonwoven fabrics for sanitary use and improve the energy efficiency of the facilities. The Government of Asturias is backing this investment with a grant of 1.89 million euros.
The first plan of the company, owned by the US company Glatfelter, consists of improving the energy efficiency of the main production line of the factory through specific actions in the winding and hydro braiding processes.
Invest in Asturias was part of this digital event, aimed at potential investors from all over the world
Invest in Asturias took part this week in the Global Investment Convention GIC III, a prestigious digital event for potential investors and investment agencies all over the world managed by Crescendo Worldwide.
During this convention, we showed the strong capabilities of Asturias for attracting investment in sectors like metal, innovative manufacturing, health, or Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
After 25 years in Asturias, its constant investments have allowed the development of a high value-added industrial activity in the automotive sector
The Economic Development Agency of the Principality of Asturias (IDEPA) has awarded the IDEPA 2021 Award for Business Growth to PMG Asturias Powder Metal.
Oviedo, 5th April 2019 – Nicolás de Abajo, the global leader of the ArcelorMittal R&D Centres around the world, and José Manuel Arias, president of ArcelorMittal in Spain, met today with Javier Fernández, president of the Principality of Asturias Government, to follow up the collaboration between the Government of the Community and the Company in the field of research, development and innovation.
The meeting follows the recent signing of a new framework agreement of collaboration between the two entities for the 2019-2022 period. The collaboration over these coming years between the Government and the company incorporates new changes to previous alliances, with the signing of an agreement between the Regional Promotion Society of the Principality of Asturias, the European Business and Innovation Centre, and ArcelorMittal, for the creation and development of technology-based companies linked to the activities carried out in the Company’s two Global R&D Centres located in Asturias, framed within a co-investment approach.
Over the past ten years, the Global R&D staff base in Asturias has grown from little more than 20 researchers and technicians to over 300, who now work between the two Centres. Since the signing of the previous agreement with the Regional Government in 2014, ArcelorMittal’s investment in R&D in Asturias has multiplied fivefold, expanding from 7 million euros in 2015 to reach 26 million euros in 2018. To this figure a further 15 million euros have been poured into creating laboratories and pilot plants designed exclusively for R&D. In 2019, the Company plans to continue its evolution in R&D research in Asturias within its global R&D structure. In the Asturian centres this drive is closely linked to improving productive processes, new products, the circular economy and to emerging “mega-trending technologies” such as 3D printing, nano-materials, Digitalisation or Industry 4.0.
Nicolás de Abajo commented: “Our aim with this new agreement is to continue to explore mega-trending technologies, the industrialisation of innovative solutions that are being developed in the Global R&D centres based in Asturias, and the creation of new opportunities for economic activity in the region, contributing to the evolution of the productive fabric: we hope to be able to revise it upwards in terms of prospects, investment and the creation of employment year after year”.
In turn, José Manual Arias thanked the firm support from the Regional Government: “The successive collaboration agreements signed between our company and the Principality of Asturias Government have significantly contributed to the exponential growth of research and innovation activities developed by the two Asturian-based Centres. The talent developed by the team of researchers has transformed our company into a global leader in diverse fields, such as excellence in research linked to the rail industry, Industry 4.0, the efficient use of water and other natural resources, gas recovery, and research into the use of new materials. We would like to thank the Principality of Asturias Government for placing its trust in ArcelorMittal, demonstrated with the successive collaboration agreements signed”.
Nur die Regionen mit der überzeugendsten und vielversprechendsten unternehmenspolitischen Vision erhalten die jährlich vergebene Auszeichnung „Europäische Unternehmerregion“ (EER), eine Initiative des Europäischen Ausschusses der Regionen (AdR). In diesem Jahr wählte die Jury das Fürstentum Asturien, die Provinz Gelderland und die Region Thessalien aufgrund ihrer herausragenden Strategien und ihres Einsatzes für die Förderung des Unternehmertums in ihrer Region als würdige Preisträger aus.
„Wie die Preisträger 2019 beweisen, sind die Regionen Europas der wichtigste Motor für Wachstum und tragen entscheidend zur Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen bei. “ , betonte Karl-Heinz Lambertz , Präsident des Europäischen Ausschusses der Regionen, bei der Bekanntgabe der Preisträger.
Im Fürstentum Asturien im Nordwesten Spaniens hat sich ein tiefgreifender wirtschaftlicher Wandel von traditionellen Industriezweigen hin zu kompetenzbasierten Wirtschaftsbranchen vollzogen. Die frühere intensive industrielle Entwicklung stellt die Region vor Herausforderungen; ihre EER-Strategie stützt sich daher im Wesentlichen auf Innovation, Diversifizierung und Humankapital. Die Region wurde aufgrund ihrer beeindruckenden Reihe an Maßnahmen ausgewählt, mit denen sie die Gründung und das Wachstum von Unternehmen unterstützt, den Zugang kleiner und mittlerer Unternehmen (KMU) zu Finanzmitteln verbessert und die unternehmerische Bildung fördert. Dazu kommen Maßnahmen zur Förderung der Umstellung auf eine Niedrigemissionswirtschaft.
„Für die Regionalregierung von Asturien sind die beiden Konzepte Innovation und Unternehmertum miteinander verknüpft. Daher fördern wir Programme auf verschiedenen Bildungsstufen, mit denen wir das Talent unserer jungen Generation stimulieren, um ein System wissensintensiver KMU und Start-ups aufzubauen, durch das Innovationen in Unternehmen vorangetrieben werden“ , erläuterte Isaac Pola Alonso , Minister für Beschäftigung, Industrie und Tourismus der Regionalregierung von Asturien.
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