No return. The chimney of the thermal power plant in the Andorra town of Teruel will no longer preside over low-lying mining areas. Aragon. This Thursday, it was grounded by 265 pounds of dynamite and fell like a felled tree to the bewildered gaze of dozens of Andorrans who came to marvel at the end of the symbol of the industrial age. Destruction was not without controversy, as many voices advocate the preservation of the architectural heritage that gave the mining town its heyday, making it the town with the highest per capita income in all of Aragon.
However, Endesa, the owner of the factory, which closed its doors in June 2020, decided to demolish the chimney for the third time. The tallest structure in Spain at 343 meters. The rationale must be in the monetary sphere: in addition to the 300,000 Euro per year for safety, emergency care cost 4 million Euros and for certain jobs an investment of one million Euros per decade.
This was announced by the CEO of Endesa in Aragon, Ignacio Montaner, in front of the mountain of rubble the tower has turned into, according to a technical survey commissioned by the power company itself. Montaner claimed that “the chimney and thermal power plant are being prepared”. 40 years of work. “No one has assumed this cost or suggested a beneficial use for the chimney,” said the person in charge of the power company. “They suggested many uses, but none of them could compare to the project we did. Montaner concluded by referring to the renewable energy park that will be built on the site of the plant.
20 million Compostilla II
The last coal redoubt in Andorra has fallen.A similar issue is discussed in the territory of Leon.. The Compostilla II thermal power plant in Ponferrada was supposed to say goodbye to the cooling towers on January 26, but ‘Ya Bierzo!’ delayed the demolition. In this case, the factory also belongs to Endesa, and the cost of maintaining this structure is estimated at 20 million euros.
And the reality is that the industrial legacy is quickly disappearing from the horizon. Renewable parks are advancing, called to replace non-renewable energy production with generation resources that help conserve nature. environment and braking climate change. It was caused by thermal power plants and their coal. But they also brought wealth and brightened the lives of families leaving for the cities today. The survivors are symbolic of the duality of human need.