This was announced by the Regional Minister for the Environment, Housing and Land Use Planning, Juan Carlos Suárez-Quiñones, at a press conference following the Government Council meeting. He stressed that this is an "important" project, which is why "procedures have been expedited" since, he explained, within "a period of 6-7 months, this project was issued and completed with the corresponding urban and environmental determinations." The area where the complex will be built is sector 17, known as 'El Crispín', classified as developable land for predominantly industrial use. It is located in the municipality of La Robla, on the southern edge of the town, between the right (west) bank of the Bernesga River and the new Pajares high-speed railway bypass, next to the old La Robla thermal power plant. This infrastructure was recently demolished as part of the decarbonization process promoted in the context of climate change and the energy transition toward a renewable energy model that is greenhouse gas-neutral.
The Regional Project incorporates the contents to define the complete general and detailed urban planning, which provides for the road connection through a new link to the provincial road LE-514 that allows access to wheeled vehicles and that includes an access road to the industrial estate from the aforementioned road, a bridge to allow crossing the Bernesga River and two roundabouts for flow regulation. In addition, the incorporation of a new railway siding is proposed that will serve two of the industrial plots and be connected to the L-130 Venta de Baños-Gijón line.
In addition, it establishes the management conditions for the area (general guidelines for action and basic guidelines for both re-parcelling and urban development), as well as the basic projects for the planned industrial plants. Approval of the project will entail a declaration of public utility and social interest and the urgent need for the occupation of the assets and rights necessary for its implementation.
The Regional Government emphasizes that this project will involve an estimated direct investment of approximately €691 million and will generate approximately 100 industrial jobs over the 25 years of operation, in addition to those needed during the plant's construction and for the treatment and collection of biomass waste.
On the other hand, there is another Regional Project whose processing is about to begin: Villadangos Green, in the municipality of Villadangos del Páramo, León. This project envisages the construction of an industrial plant for the production of e-methanol and green hydrogen in the aforementioned municipality. This plant will be connected to the La Robla complex via a pipeline, i.e., a carbon dioxide (CO2) transport pipeline, as well as a hydrogen (H2) pipeline. This creates a large, territorial, supra-municipal complex through the interaction of both facilities, creating a solid territorial structure from an industrial and energy perspective.
"It's a regional project representing a significant investment in renewable energy and the circular economy, and it doesn't stop there because the plan is for a co-conduit and hydrogen pipeline to be launched from La Robla and that plant to the Villadangos del Páramo industrial estate. This second project is already materializing, and the project has been submitted at the start of a new regional plan—a new regional plan that is already underway and has therefore begun and will culminate with a declaration by order of the Regional Ministry of Territorial Scope, thus completing these two renewable energy production centers," he explained.
Quiñones emphasized that the focus is on "employment and renewable energy," seeking "new industries that enter the realm of decarbonization and generate economic activity and employment in the province of León." These two "important" areas, especially La Robla, he added, have suffered "the end of mining and the end of thermal energy."
