In the last month, the Ministry of Mobility, Environment, and Emergency Management of the Principality of Asturias has awarded €20 million in grants to four circular economy industrial projects. Meanwhile, the Galician Regional Government has praised the work of Anfaco-Cytma in creating a pool of byproducts for the maritime-industrial sector. Both cases reflect the support of regional governments and public-private partnerships.
Asturias allocates 20 million to four circular projects
The Just Transition Fund, managed by the Ministry of Mobility, Environment, and Emergency Management, will mobilize a total investment of €51 million in sectors such as steel, metallurgy, refractories, and renewable hydrogen. According to the resolution, public funding will generate approximately €1,55 of private investment for every euro granted.
The most ambitious project belongs to ArcelorMittal in Gijón, with an investment of €39,86 million and a grant of €15,14 million. This initiative focuses on improving water efficiency through the reuse of rainwater and reclaimed water. Meanwhile, H2 Aboño, in Llanera, will invest €1,72 million (with a grant of €775.225) to utilize wastewater as a resource for the production of renewable hydrogen, incorporating additional ecodesign measures.
In the area of waste management, Refractaria, in Siero, will develop a €5,95 million project, supported by a €2,68 million grant, to recover more than 50% of refractory waste and reintegrate it into the production process. HICASA, in Carreño, will receive €1,41 million for a €3,75 million investment aimed at improving the circularity of rail cutting, reducing waste, and removing asbestos at a converted industrial site.
Galicia is committed to industrial symbiosis
The Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Ángeles Vázquez, visited the Anfaco-Cytma facilities in Vigo to highlight the environmental commitment of the maritime-industrial sector, which contributes 5% of Galicia's GDP and employs more than 25.000 people. Within the framework of this collaboration, the SIMBlue project is being promoted, which aims to create a by-product exchange connecting companies to reuse waste as raw materials.
The initiative, supported by artificial intelligence, aims to delay the conversion of materials into waste and promote industrial symbiosis. The Industrial Circular Economy Office, active since May 2025, offers technical advice and support to companies that want to advance in this model. Vázquez emphasized the need for legal certainty and a stable regulatory framework for these practices to become established.
According to the Xunta, these actions demonstrate that the circular economy can translate into concrete and profitable solutions for industry, and that public-private collaboration is essential for its success.
The combination of investments in Asturias and initiatives in Galicia demonstrates that the circular economy is a driver of industrial modernization and competitiveness. While Asturias is committed to the reuse of water and waste in heavy industry, Galicia is promoting collaboration between companies to utilize byproducts. Both regions agree that public funding acts as a lever to attract private investment and that environmental sustainability is becoming a key factor in the transformation of Spain's productive sector.
