The Regional Government of Valencia's Minister of Economy, Industry and Trade visits Atersa's facilities
Buch underscores the importance of renewable energy as a generator of industrial fabric with high technological value
He emphasises the energy industry's capacity to generate wealth and jobs
Atersa is the company with the largest photovoltaic module production capacity in Spain
Valencia, 8 May 2012.- The Regional Government of Valencia's Minister of Economy, Industry and Trade, Máximo Buch, has underscored the "importance of the renewable energy and energy efficiency industry, as a generator of industrial fabric with high technological value."
The Minister visited the solar panel manufacturing company Atersa, a subsidiary of Elecnor, where he stressed the Regional Government's firm decision to increase the proportion of renewable energy sources in our energy mix.
"This commitment is fruit of the conviction that renewable energy sources are the sole means for the Community of Valencia to become self-sufficient in primary energy and their use entails reducing the impact of energy production and transformation on the environment", he explained.
"Yet what's more," he added, "aside from the environmental benefits of renewable energy sources, their implementation in the Community is prompting the creation of an associated industrial fabric which is generating wealth and jobs in the Community."
According to Buch, "all of the sectors involved in the renewable energy and energy efficiency value chain are emerging sectors with a high degree of technological innovation and a marked capacity to generate jobs."
Based on AVEN data regarding the Community of Valencia, the renewable energy industry currently employs close to 5,000 people, namely in the photovoltaic solar sector, home to 350 companies.
The Community of Valencia has five manufacturing plants
The Community is home to five photovoltaic module manufacturing plants. Altogether, the production capacity of these companies represents approximately 30% of the national total and has spurred the creation of more than 1,000 jobs.
About Atersa
A subsidiary of Elecnor, Atersa focuses its activities on manufacturing solar photovoltaic modules and is the company with the largest photovoltaic module production capacity in Spain. It is among the top five largest module manufacturers in Spain and among the top 20 worldwide.
The plant is equipped with the latest technological advances in the production of crystalline silicon solar modules and has a production capacity of 154 megawatt hours per year, i.e. almost 700,000 solar panels a year. When operating at full capacity, Atersa employs a total of 450 people.
Aside from this plant, the company has two other logistic centres with a built area of 10,000m2, whereupon, as a whole, Atersa's premises cover 20,000m2.