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More and more Canarian companies in recent years have promoted energy saving projects and implantation of renewable energies destined for self-consumption thanks to the aid granted by the regional government, and co-financed by European funds Feder. As a result of these investments, several SMEs on the Islands have improved their competitiveness, achieving higher productivity and lower costs.
Precisely this Tuesday, December 29, was published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands the anticipated call for the year 2021 of this line of grants for the private sector, which amounts to 3,655,750 euros, of which 3,055,750 euros are intended for companies on the Islands.
In 2020, the regional Executive granted direct aid to 85 Canary Islands companies for the execution of projects of this type worth 3,145,000 euros, which meant, together with subsidies for residential buildings, the implementation of 5.4 megawatts of renewable energy in the Islands and the reduction of 9,883 tons of emissions of CO2 to the atmosphere.
In that line of fight against climate change and the reduction of greenhouse gases is having a special impact on the Ministry of Ecological Transition of the Government of the Canary Islands, led by José Antonio Valbuena, which in 2020 tripled the budget for promoting the implementation of clean energy in the economic fabric of the Archipelago.
These grants, charged to the European funds, cover up to a maximum of 45% of the total investment of each subsidized project which, in general terms, is focused on the start-up of self-consumption photovoltaic installations.
Loans with favorable conditions
In parallel, the regional executive also has a line of financing for SMEs, through loans with favorable conditions, which also have the backing from Feder funds and which are managed by the Society for the Economic Development of the Canary Islands (Sodecan), with the aim of facilitating the installation of self-consumption systems with renewable energy.
One of the companies that has taken advantage of these loans is Lavatur Canarias, which, in the words of its manager, Yukonda Esparragosa, “has gone from being a small laundry to positioning ourselves among the leading companies in the sector on an international level”. The company has managed to modernize its facilities, incorporating the latest technology machinery and also improving the working conditions of its workers.
Currently, the Government of the Canary Islands has a fund of 4.8 million euros for the granting of these loans, with which the company can cover between 25,000 and 1,000,000 euros per project, with a maximum financing of 85% of the total eligible.
Congelados Herbania is another clear example of the benefits of the implementation of clean energys and self-consumption systems in the business sector of the Islands. As explained by its administrator, Augusto Brito, “with the installation of a mill we have achieved considerable savings in electricity bills, using the surpluses to supply energy to the rest of the company’s facilities in the Canary Islands”.
The company Productos Tinerfeños (Protisa) was also granted a loan for incorporate more efficient and sustainable machinery, replacing existing obsolete equipment. “At Protisa we have managed to reduce energy consumption throughout our production chain, also achieving cost minimization and productivity optimization, thus responding to the challenges posed to us to restore, within our possibilities, the ecological balance in our activity ”, affirms Raquel Malo, CEO of the company.
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