The State delegate, Fran González, presented this morning with Ignacio Hernández, professor of Ecology at the UCA, and Adela Torrico, Tragsa project technique, the conclusions of the decarbonization plan launched by the fiscal institution a year ago
The plan is being developed in three phases: the calculation of the carbon footprint of the consortium activity in the province has been completed, with a result of 872,071t CO2; The footprint has been validated and registered; And emission mitigation and compensation measures are being studied and implementing, with which a zero footprint will be achieved
The Free Zone has commissioned the Blue Carbon Laboratory of the UCA Ecology Laboratory for the study of four Mareales Marisms located in the Bay and without use of which the saline of San Joaquín has been selected in Chiclana to be restored with a blue carbon pilot project, up to ten times more efficient as sink than the green carbon
Fran González stressed that “the Free Zone of Cádiz is at the forefront of the state public sector with this‘ Zero Footprint ’plan, opening a line of work around the blue carbon to recover the natural heritage of the Bay, within the framework of the consolidation of a more sustainable and innovative industrial model”
The Free Zone of Cádiz continues to advance in its commitment to a more sustainable industrial model, efficient and committed to the environment. The State delegate in the Consortium, Fran González, presented this morning with Ignacio Hernández Carrero, professor of Ecology at the UCA, and Adela Torrico, Tragsa project technique, the results of the study of his carbon footprint that announced now a year ago in the framework of the decarbonization strategy of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.
The plan of the study of the zero footprint of the free zone is approached in three phases, of which two have already been completed: the calculation of the footprint and its validation and registration in the ministry. At present, the third phase is being developed, with the implementation of mitigation and compensation measures that allow the consortium to reach the zero footprint.
This has been announced at the beginning of the presentation Fran González, who thanked “the institutional collaboration with Tragsa and the UCA to enrich a project that stands out for its innovative compensation measures of CO2 emissions with blue carbon, a line of work that places the consortium to the avant -garde of the state public sector and that strengthens the commitment to a more committed industry model 4.0 and in the line of the objects of sustainable development.
The delegate of the Free Zone of Cádiz has explained that Tragsatec- Group Tragsa- has been the company in charge of measuring and calculating the direct and indirect greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions of all the Consortium facilities and their companies participated throughout the province.
Adela Torrico, Tragsa project technique has explained that the period studied has covered all year 2023, having obtained a result of 872.07 tons of CO2 EQ, of which 95% corresponds to “fluorinated gas leaks derived from the air conditioning and refrigeration systems, while 4.40% corresponds to the emissions caused by road transport”.
On these data, which place the Free Zone very close to those obtained by other public institutions such as the ICEX or the City Council of Reinosa- among the entities registered in 2023- the delegate of the fiscal institution has wanted to highlight that “it is a relatively low impact carbon footprint. By comparing, the electrical consumption of an average home is 7.5 tons of the year, so that the free zone has a fingerprint They broadcast 110 homes in a year. ”
In this line, González has stressed that “obtaining a relatively low footprint is the result of the work that has already been developed since 2021 with a comprehensive plan for modernization and improvement of facilities, in which more than 2.5 million euros have been invested in projects such as the renewal of the air conditioning equipment, renewal of the fleet of electric vehicles, the installation of four electroles and sanitation, among others, in addition to measures such as teleworking. ”
This line of work undertaken by the consortium connects directly with the axes of action proposed by Tragsatec to implement measures that mitigate the carbon footprint, among which a centralized control system of the buildings, which is under study and in which more than 700,000 euros will be invested; or the implementation of renewable energy, measures with which the current carbon footprint could be reduced by approximately 90%.
González has pointed out that this study project of the carbon footprint is not a fixed photo but will be continued work over time. In fact, once the total of the 2023 footprint is known and the implementation of the mitigation measures will be assessed if they have resulted, in which case the free zone will obtain the “Reduzco” label offered by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition to the institutions that reduce its carbon footprint. The Free Zone has already obtained the “Calculation” seal once the carbon footprint has registered last April in Carbon Footprint A section A and GEI emissions reduction commitments of the Ministry.
Pilot project with blue carbon
The free zone decarbonization plan goes beyond mitigation measures. González explained that the consortium has followed his commitment to the blue economy and has opened a line of work that goes beyond acting on forests and green carbon to compensate for the rest of the carbon footprint.
Along these lines, the Free Zone has commissioned the Blue Carbon Laboratory of the UCA Ecology Laboratory a study on blue carbon projects for the compensation of greenhouse gas emissions in the field of the province of Cádiz, whose conclusions have broken down Ignacio Hernández Carrero, professor of Ecology at the UCA.
Four abandoned or unused tidal marsmas have been studied in the Bay of Cádiz, San Pedro and San José (La Covacha), Divina Pastora and Salina de San Fernando, in Puerto Real; and San Joaquín, located in Chiclana. Of the four, San Joaquín has been selected that is going to recover with a pioneering blue carbon pioneer intervention, which will allow the remaining 10% of the consortium carbon footprint to be compensated, since this saline could absorb 124 tons of CO2 a year to be regenerated.
The State delegate in the Free Zone of Cádiz has stressed the importance of actions of this type, which has also presented the Secretary of State for Environment with a very positive assessment “because we want to give an example as a public administration and lead in the province of Cádiz the strategy for decarbonization opening a path around the blue carbon -with few preferential ones in this area -, recovering the saline as a source of wealth and blue Bay, aware that they are fundamental to regulate the climate, stop coastal erosion and protect heritage and biodiversity. ”
“Therefore, we are studying the Demanial Reserve of La Salina de San Joaquín to be able to act in the pilot project that allows us in the future to extend to other saline from the territory with blue carbon projects, which has been shown to be key to climate health thanks to the large amounts of oxygen that they generate and that suppose an opportunity to continue adding among all the institutions to reference the Cádiz brand as an example of innovation, innovation. and of commitment to sustainable development, progress and economic growth, ”González concluded.