Endesa gets EIA for 49-MW project in Catalonia's dormant wind market

Spanish utility Endesa SA (BME:ELE) said that it has received a favourable environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the 49-MW Galatea wind farm proposal in Catalonia on behalf of its renewables division Enel Green Power Espana.

The company will invest around EUR 50 million (USD 54.4m) in this project and erect nine wind turbines in the Catalan comarca of Alt Emporda. Galatea is expected to produce some 140 GWh of electricity per year, or enough to power half of the homes in the comarca, according to Endesa.

Construction is planned to start in early 2024.

The project has been in the permitting process since 2020, the utility said. In October 2021, the Catalan government adopted a law that, among others, requires promoters of large-scale renewables to offer at least 20% interest in the project to local investors, including individuals, businesses and municipal bodies.

Endesa said it had launched the offering in line with the 2021 law, but it also designed a “financial instrument” that will enable locals to make the investment. Spanish daily newspaper El Pais has reported that these are loans that could range from EUR 500 to EUR 25,000.

Galatea is notable for being one of the first wind projects in Catalonia to obtain EIA since the region’s government approved a decree-law in 2019 to address climate emergency and speed up the renewables development on its territory. However, no new wind turbines have been erected since.

(EUR 1.0 = USD 1.088)

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