The Galician government has taken advantage of an institutional trip to China to to open a channel of dialogue with the multinational Goldwind, one of the world's leading players in wind technology, with the aim of strengthening the deployment of renewable energies in the community. The meeting is part of the Galician Government's strategy to position Galicia as a gateway for international energy projects in Europe.
At the meetings held in Beijing, the president of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda, accompanied by the Minister of Economy and Industry, MarÃa Jesús Lorenzana, presented Galicia as a territory with experience and consolidated infrastructure in wind power generation, and with a own regulatory framework aimed at accelerating the energy transition and providing security to investors.
Meeting in Beijing to boost collaboration with Goldwind
The meeting with Goldwind representatives took place in Beijing and focused on Explore possible forms of cooperation in wind energy projects in Galiciaboth land-based and those linked to new technologies. The Galician government conveyed to the Chinese company its interest in its participation in the so-called "orderly deployment" of renewables in Galicia.
Rueda presented Galicia as a strategic partner for the establishment of energy companies in the European marketHighlighting its geographic location, the availability of natural resources, and decades of experience in managing wind farms, the proposal involves combining Goldwind's technological capabilities with the Galician industrial and regulatory ecosystem.
During the meeting, the regional president explained that this type of alliance would allow accelerate the modernization of the wind farm and, at the same time, strengthen the local value chain, from the manufacturing and maintenance of components to the engineering associated with the projects.
The Galician delegation insisted that the objective is to move towards a planned renewable growththat takes into account landscape integration, environmental protection and territorial participation, aspects that they consider key for the social acceptance of new developments.
Galicia, a benchmark for wind energy and a laboratory for the energy transition
In the talks, the Xunta stressed that Galicia is currently the third largest wind power producer in Spain.The region has over 4.000 megawatts of installed power, spread across some 200 operating wind farms, making it one of the most advanced territories in the country in this field.
This infrastructure allows that Wind energy accounts for approximately 38,4% of the electricity produced in GaliciaIf we add the contribution of hydropower, renewables already cover approximately 84% of the Galician electric mix, a figure that places the community among the most decarbonized in the European environment.
This point was one of the key arguments of the Galician delegation to to strengthen Galicia's image as a territory with a long track record in renewables And not as an emerging market without prior experience. The message conveyed is that the community is ready to take a qualitative leap towards more advanced technologies and more efficient operating models.
For companies in the sector, this context implies an environment with proven energy resources, already deployed infrastructures and a business fabric linked to energy, which includes everything from large companies to SMEs specializing in technical services and park maintenance.
Repowering plan: renovate 25 parks and replace 800 wind turbines
One of the issues that aroused the most interest at the meeting was the Wind farm repowering plan Promoted by the Xunta (Galician regional government), this program focuses on the 25 oldest parks in Galicia, facilities that have been in operation for years and which, according to the regional government, need a technological upgrade to remain competitive.
The plan provides for Remove approximately 800 old wind turbines and replace them with more modern and efficient models.reducing their number to an average of 120 per park. The aim is to concentrate generation in fewer machines, with greater unit capacity and better energy efficiency.
According to estimates provided by the Xunta, This renovation could increase energy production by around 35%. despite having a smaller number of wind turbines, which would also result in a more contained visual and environmental impact in the areas where the parks are located.
For technology companies like Goldwind, this program opens the door to to collaborate in the supply of new generation wind turbines, control solutions and associated servicesas well as in potential joint investment agreements for certain projects. The Galician government (Xunta) presented this repowering as a means of immediate cooperation, given the technological maturity of the wind energy sector.
Furthermore, the plan's approach is not limited to replacing equipment, but rather This includes the possibility of improving access, evacuation networks, and monitoring systems.This would make these parks benchmark facilities in efficiency and digitalization within the Spanish wind energy landscape.
Regulatory framework, stability and tools to attract investment
Beyond generation capacity, the Galician government wanted to highlight to Goldwind the existence of a specific regulatory framework geared towards climate transitionGalicia has the Climate Law, considered the first regional legislation of its kind in Spain, which sets by law the objective of achieving climate neutrality in 2040, ten years ahead of the goal set by the State and the European Union.
According to Rueda, this legal framework sends a clear signal to stakeholders in the energy sector: Decarbonization is a long-term political priorityThis, in theory, reduces uncertainty about future abrupt regulatory changes and favors large-scale investment planning.
At the same time, the Galician government emphasized that Galicia offers an environment of "political stability and legal certainty" for energy projects. The discussions included mention of instruments such as Project Acceleration Zones, areas where the aim is to expedite the administrative processing of initiatives considered strategic for the community.
Another mechanism mentioned was the public company Recursos de Galicia (RDG), through which The regional government can participate directly in the promotion and financing of energy projectsThis tool aims to ensure that a portion of the value generated by the facilities remains in the territory and, at the same time, facilitate the economic viability of certain investments.
The combination of these figures aims to create a more attractive environment for international businesses that want to establish themselves in Galicia, either by building new plants, participating in local consortia or acquiring stakes in parks in operation or under development.
Galicia as a European platform and next steps in the relationship with Goldwind
Within this strategy, the Xunta stressed to Goldwind that its intention is that Galicia will function as a landing platform in the European market for companies in the renewable energy sector. The community seeks to leverage its wind energy expertise, logistical connections, and industrial base to attract decision-making centers and high-impact projects.
The Galician delegation conveyed to the Chinese company that, beyond the supply of technology, There is room to explore collaborative models that include direct investment, industrial cooperation, and innovation projects in areas such as energy storage, the digitization of networks or the integration of renewables in isolated systems.
As a gesture to move this relationship forward, the president of the Xunta He formally invited Goldwind executives to visit GaliciaThe objective of this future visit would be for the company to see the site firsthand. ports and logistics centers, as well as some of the wind farms in operation and the sites planned for repowering.
The Galician government believes that this direct contact would allow to better define the possible lines of cooperation and adjust project proposals to the industrial and technological capabilities available both in Galicia and within Goldwind itself.
With this move in China, the Galician Government reinforces its commitment to attract international partners to consolidate Galicia's leadership in renewable energies, with special emphasis on modernizing the existing wind farm, meeting the climate targets set for 2040 and generating new economic opportunities linked to the energy transition in northwest Spain.