Environmental requirements, including the provision that 80% of electricity consumption must come from new renewable sources, could halt “the most important investment in the region’s history,” according to the president of the Government of Aragon, Jorge Azcón, who once again rejected the central government’s initiative during the presentation of the project’s final PIGA approval.
The head of the regional government stressed that this is a “historic” investment, comparing it with the gigafactory in Figueruelas, “the largest battery factory currently being built in our country,” which represents an investment of €4.1 billion. He also said it will create 1,200 direct jobs during the construction of the first phase and up to 200 permanent jobs once operational.
However, the project could be halted because, as Azcón explained, the infrastructure as currently planned would not meet the requirements of the decree, like the rest of the data center projects in the region. By contrast, he said it would comply with “all the sustainability criteria” required by the regulations being prepared by the European Union.
“I am convinced that the Spanish government must reflect on why Europe is applying acceptable environmental and energy sustainability criteria that can be defended, while in Spain we want to drive away the technology investments being established in our region, which are by far the most important being considered anywhere in Europe,” the Aragonese president said.
Another factor that, according to Jorge Azcón, could slow the €70 billion in technology investments is the Ministry for Ecological Transition’s delay in calling the electricity capacity tenders that several data center projects need to access the grid.
“Billions in investment are awaiting a decision from the Spanish government that we were told would be imminent and that we have been waiting for more than two years,” the regional president said, criticizing the central administration for prioritizing the decree over tenders that “could create tens of thousands of jobs.”
