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Energy Pharmaceutical

Aragon triples funds raised in the H2020 program and is now among the leading Autonomous Communities in European resources for R + D + i

Regional companies and public entities achieve a return of 176.3 million euros from their participation in 500 EU-funded projects

SMEs, public technology and research centers, and the university achieve the highest funding in strategic areas such as clean energy, industry and agri-food

Aragon has achieved a return of 176.3 million euros in the European Horizon 2020 program to promote research and innovation, tripling its result from the previous funding plan of the European Commission and placing the Autonomous Community as the sixth in Spain in terms of fundraising.

This number is the result of the efforts of 145 Aragonese entities and agents, who have participated with excellent results in H2020. 

The biggest share of this amount was achieved by Aragonese companies, and especially small and medium-sized ones (SMEs), who have participated in 500 financed projects, accounting for almost 50 million euros (27.9% of total return).

The performance of the Aragonese technology centers such as the Technological Institute of Aragon ITAINNOVA and Aitiip Technological Center has also been remarkable, with 26.7% of the total funds obtained and a global amount of 47.16 million euros. University of Zaragoza, with 34 million euros, represents 19.2%; public research centers, 13.7% with just over 24 million euros; while the public administration represents 4.8%, exceeding 8.5 million euros.

Among the main participating agents, there are also the Institute of Materials Sciences of Aragon and the Institute of Carbochemistry, both dependent on the Higher Council for Scientific Research, as well as the Foundation for the Development of New Hydrogen Technologies, the Zaragoza Logistic Center Foundation, the Aragonese Health Service, the Iberus Campus of International Excellence or the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza.

From the sectors’ perspective, those who have obtained the highest returns are clean, safe and efficient energy (29.9 million); nanotechnologies, materials and biotechnology (26.5 million); and bioeconomy and food security (13.7 million). In fact, they account for 40% of the funds capitalized by Aragon and confirm the Community’s strategic specialization in the fields of energy (hydrogen and fuel cells), industry and agri-food.

In addition, this program has been supported by all actors of the Aragonese science and technology system, which speaks of good health and coordination of the regional ecosystem. The excellent results obtained by the Aragonese entities participating in the program, as well as by the rest of the Autonomous Communities, have led Spain to rank fourth in volume of subsidies received, only behind Germany, the United Kingdom and France.

The new Horizon Europe framework program, endowed with 95,517 million euros for the next seven years, aims to achieve the greatest scientific, technological, economic and social impact of EU investments in R & D & I, promoting the competitiveness of the regions and Member States. It is estimated that it could generate 11 euros for every euro invested and create up to 320,000 new highly-skilled jobs by 2040.

Source: Aragonhoy

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Energy

Pontegadea joins forces with Repsol and invests 245 million in a wind farm in Aragon

The project comprises 89 wind turbines, with a capacity of 335 megawatts, all located in the Zaragoza province

The Delta wind project keeps up the investment euphoria in renewable energies in Aragon

The business of renewable energies in Aragon maintains its steady growth with Pontegadea Inversiones acquiring 49% of Repsol’s Delta Wind Park, which operates 89 wind turbines in the region.

Repsol has reached an agreement with one of the main private investment groups in the world – the fund that manages the personal fortune of Zara owner Amancio Ortega – to partner in the Delta wind project, made up of eight wind farms located in the province of Zaragoza. Its 89 wind turbines, all of them fully operational since last March, add up to 335 megawatts (MW) of installed power, .

Under the agreement, Pontegadea invests 245 million euros to take a 49% stake in Delta, which means valuing these assets at 500 million, that is, 5.6 million for each windmill. This operation is Pontgadea’s first foray in the renewable energy sector, following in the footsteps of other great fortunes and multinationals that have been seduced by the green energies of Aragon, such as Amazon.

The parks are located in the surroundings of the Zaragoza towns of Villar de los Navarros (in the county of Campo de Daroca), where 236 MW are located; and Fuentes de Ebro (Ribera Baja de Ebro), with almost 100 MW. 

These facilities began operating in tests a year ago. Construction involved the investment of 300 million euros, and works were completed in less than 12 months with tips of up to 600 workers involved. Delta will produce 992 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy per year, equivalent to the average annual consumption of 300,000 homes, preventing the emission of one million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere per year.

Thanks to its favorable wind conditions and orographic features, Aragon has become one of the epicenters in the deployment of wind farms in Spain.

 

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Energy

In 2020, Aragón covered all its local energy consumption with renewables

Aragón’s production of renewable energy exceeded local energy consumption by 22% in 2020, following a boom in green investments likely to continue in 2021.

Substantial investments have been made in the last years by both national and international groups, especially in the provinces of Zaragoza and Teruel. Proof of this are the almost 1,000 megawatts (MW) of wind and photovoltaic parks put into service last year, according to provisional data provided by Red Eléctrica de España (REE). In 2019, Aragón connected a total of 1.931 MW to the grid.

The largest source of energy in the region is the wind, accounting for 44.6% of total production, or 4,075 MW, in 2020. 14.6% and 12.2% of production came from hydraulic and photovoltaic plants, respectively.

Having doubled its capacity in only two years, Aragón is now the second Spanish region in terms of wind energy production, up from the fifth place it occupied in the same ranking only a year earlier.

Regional administration has played a key role in the recent investment boom, speeding up the approval process for new projects.  The tailwind for renewable energy in Aragón will persist in the near future: More than 400 new projects, totalling 12,500 MW, have been requested already for 2021.