Junta demands more electricity infrastructure for Malaga from Spanish government 'to avoid losing projects and growth opportunities'

Infrastructure

Malaga's delegate with the regional government of Andalucía, Patricia Navarro, laments the loss of business investments and the standstill in housing construction due to the overloaded electricity grid in the Costa del Sol province

SUR

The Junta's delegate in Malaga, Patricia Navarro, made the call on Thursday for more electrical and energy infrastructure in general "so as not to ... continue losing business projects and growth opportunities" in the province of Malaga.

"Malaga cannot continue to be penalised for the lack of electrical infrastructure commensurate with its economic and population growth. The Andalusian government has done its homework: two years ago, the planning proposal was sent to the Ministry, but it wasn't until October of last year that central government published a first draft, to which we submitted objections, precisely to reserve power for certain projects that require it."

Following the recent announcement of Diamond Foundry's decision, a synthetic diamond chip company, to rule out Malaga for a one-billion-euro investment due to the province's power shortage, Navarro said that this is "a very hard blow to the industrial and technological aspirations of our province. This news demonstrates the serious energy deficit that has been dragging this province down for years and which the Spanish government is determined not to resolve."

"It is incomprehensible that Malaga does not have the electricity capacity necessary to sustain its development."

Patricia Navarro

Junta delegate for Malaga

"The lack of planning and investment in energy transmission and supply networks is hindering strategic projects, deterring international investment and jeopardising thousands of high-value-added jobs. It is incomprehensible that a province that is a leader in innovation, technology and business appeal does not have the electricity capacity necessary to sustain its development," stated Navarro.

More than 25,000 homes blocked

In this politician's opinion, this problem does not only affect large industrial and business projects, but also housing. There are currently more than 25,000 homes blocked from construction in the province due to a lack of electrical power and the inability to meet new energy demands.

"We are seeing how entire municipalities are finding it extremely difficult to develop residential, business or tourism land because of a structural problem that depends directly on the investments and decisions of central government, which is leading us to an unprecedented paralysis," she said.

In conclusion, Navarro stated: "We cannot allow a province that is an economic engine of Andalucía and Spain to be hampered by a lack of basic infrastructure. We demand an immediate response from the Spanish government, urgent planning and the necessary investments to guarantee the electricity supply that Malaga needs to continue growing, generating employment and competing on equal terms with other regions."