The State delegate, Fran González, and the mayor of Cádiz, José María González, have signed a protocol of intentions that aims to develop the industrial zone of the capital
The agreement contemplates, among other issues, the streamlining of urban planning procedures in the reorganization of plots owned by the Zona Franca so that they act as an attraction for potential investors.
The Consortium will develop actions to create modern and effective infrastructures in terms of electricity, sanitation and supply, with a global investment in the coming years of 39.4 million euros
Zona Franca and City Council are committed to sustainable industrial land by promoting the installation of solar panels on the roofs of industrial buildings
Both administrations will act globally for the development of the entire industrial zone of the city, creating spaces that guarantee the implementation of the projects.
The State delegate in the Free Trade Zone, Fran González, and the mayor of Cádiz, José María González, signed this morning a protocol of intentions that aims to promote and modernize the city's industrial land, focusing especially on the outer polygon of the Free Trade Zone, which will quickly and radically change the appearance of this area of the capital and serve to promote economic activity and job creation in Cádiz and in the entire area of influence.
Both administrations have agreed to work together, promoting new economic models that open different market niches from a more ecological and responsible perspective, in line with the green and blue economies.
The agreement contemplates the creation of modern and effective infrastructures to cover this industrial development for which the Consortium will make a global investment in the coming years estimated at 39.4 million euros, mainly in electricity, sanitation and supply, actions that will be carried out both in the outer industrial area of the Free Trade Zone and in the tax area, mainly on the land of the old Altadis. To this global investment in electrical and hydraulic matters we must add another important item, whose estimated investment would be around 10 million euros, which will be used to establish sustainable industrial land in Cádiz with the installation of solar panels in industrial buildings.
Fran González explained that it is essential for the City Council and the Free Trade Zone to work together and pointed out that "we are talking about urban development and creating and improving infrastructure; about making a green, self-sufficient industrial zone committed to the future" and pointed out that today is the beginning of joint work because "it calls on both of us to follow a path of joint work to develop everything that we present here and that will help change the limited industrial zone that the city has."
José María González has stressed that the agreement is “the beginning” of a joint path that both administrations will follow in coordination to carry out specific actions for the development of the exterior industrial estate and the tax area. “Cádiz City Council will always be working on that idea, and we welcome the abandonment of real estate adventures that have been a tremendous burden for the Free Trade Zone of Cádiz, an essential engine for generating opportunities in the city.” At this point, he has expressed satisfaction with the good harmony between administrations, "leaving aside political partisanship and putting the interests of the city first. One thing is clear: if things go well for the Cádiz Free Trade Zone, things will go well for Cádiz."
The objective is to develop a free zone and modern, future-oriented industrial land, more sustainable and with modern infrastructure that provides coverage for future projects. To this end, Zona Franca foresees a global investment on its part in electrical infrastructure of 23.1 million euros, of which 20.5 million will be allocated to the outdoor industrial estate and 2.6 million to the indoor area in the area of the old Altadis. Regarding hydraulic infrastructures, the Consortium will allocate a total investment of 16.3 million euros, of which 10 million will be for the exterior polygon and 6.3 million for the interior area.
One of the central objectives is the implementation of Zona Base, the technological expansion center with the incubator linked to the blue economy, in the UE-EX08, formerly Ibérica Aga, in which the aforementioned project is being developed, which is co-financed by Feder Funds. In this specific case, a comprehensive approach to the infrastructure is necessary to provide adequate support to the technological expansion center with the blue economy incubator and to also serve as a starting point for the global planning and general development of the entire outdoor estate, with an area of 550,000 m2, which acquires greater value if the scarcity of available land in the city of Cádiz is taken into account.
The development of the plots owned by the Consortium, which currently has almost 8% of the land in the outer industrial estate, will be carried out with the greatest alacrity, for which the City Council is committed to streamlining the necessary procedures and procedures with the aim that these actions serve as a stimulus and model for the comprehensive change of the industrial estate and give a boost to economic activity in the municipality.
Free Zone and City Council will work together on other matters of interest to the city. In this way, the agreement includes possible lines of work regarding parking and contemplates the possibility of Zona Franca collaborating with Emasa with the parking spaces it has in the Glorieta, Carranza and Loreto car parks, in addition to the two surface parking bags in the plots that belonged to Súper Cádiz and Talleres Faro, which can result in an improvement in mobility in the capital. Cádiz.
Sustainable industrial land
In the protocol signed today, both administrations are committed to an industrial development model that is more responsible for future generations, more respectful of the environment and that at the same time involves the opening of new business niches with the use of renewable energies.
The promotion of cleaner and less polluting energy is reflected in a first step with the installation of solar panels on the roofs of the warehouses of the interior premises - a total of 178,429 m2 - to promote self-consumption in the same line that the Consortium already began with the installation on 11,809 m2 of roofs of warehouses of the premises.
With this initial installation, the Consortium has confirmed that the ability to produce its own energy and thereby reducing dependence on the electrical grid entails a significant reduction in expenditure, in addition to making sustainable equipment and contributing to reducing environmental pollution.
In fact, according to the projection made by the technicians, the roofs planned in the interior area can produce between 12 and 15 megawatts, of which the Consortium consumes 10%, so the rest would go to surplus or self-consumption of clients located in the interior area with the consequent cost savings.
The collaboration and joint work, which includes the promotion and projection of the image of Cádiz in external actions, trade missions, etc., of the City Council and the Free Trade Zone, will be carried out globally with the aim of promoting the development of the city in all its areas, so that new issues or lines of work may be incorporated at any time.