Introduction: The macroproject to build the cellulose factory of the Portuguese company Altri attempts against jobs, health, tourism and the entire ecosystem linked to the Ría de Arousa and the Ulla river region.
Although the Xunta de Galicia approved the Environmental impact statement, Neighbors, activists, civil and environmental organizations protested this Saturday by land and sea – with 500 vessels in various points of A Pobra do Caramiñal, in A Coruña – against this plan, which threatens destroy the living conditions of the population and the rest of living beings, as experts warn.
On December 29, 2022, the Conmell of the Xunta de Galicia gave the project the status of “Strategic Industrial Project”, Which allowed to accelerate its processing considering it as a priority.
Project management passed, then, Altri participations y Trading SL to its subsidiary Greenfiber SL In July 2023, where he shares shareholders with Smarttiathe patrimonial society of Manuel García Pardo, the CEO of Greenalia.
The Xeral Secretariat of Industry and Energy Development was in charge of this moment of processing the authorization, sending the request for ordinary environmental assessment in February 2025. On March 14, environmental authorization was effective with the good viso of the Ministry of Environment of Ángeles Vázquez.
But, is that It is not a minor issue, The factory that is intended to be installed in Palas de Rei I would occupy 366 ha, will require an electrical consumption power of 110 MW, a 46,000 m³/water day collection (16 hm3/year) and a INDUSTRIAL P spill permission of 30,000 m³/wastewater daywhich is unassumable by much of the neighbors, activists, civil and environmental organizations, in addition to political parties such as the BNG o PSdeG-PSOE.
Macrocellulose of the Portuguese company Altri
Thousands of people and boats concentrated on Saturday in the Coruña municipality of To Pobra To show your rejection of the macrocellulose that the Portuguese company Altri He wants to locate in Palas de Rei (Lugo) and to oppose the reopening of the Touro Copper Mine (A Coruña).
Los Platform in defense of the Arousa estuary (Pedra), convening of the demonstration, argues that both projects compromise the water of the Ulla River and the estuary for being highly polluting, in addition to endangering the viability of the agro-fear sector in the very long term.
The manifestation by land has elapsed from the port of the town to the beach of O Areal, while the fishing vessels of different size have concentrated in the Ensenada do Caramiñal, in a day with a dense mist in the sea.
The massive social response to both projects occurs a few days after Galician Government of the Popular Party has approved the Environmental Impact Declaration In the case of the cellulose of Others to be located in the Lucense region of A Ulloa.
The president of the Neighborhood Association Ulloa alivePilar Naveira, has said that although “it is more than probable that the project has administrative licensewhat is 100% sure is that it has no social license ».
BNG mobilizes citizens
The president of Pedra, Xaquín Rubido, has said that the social response is a Call for attention to European authorities and the government chaired by Pedro Sánchez so that it does not facilitate public financing to the Portuguese business initiative.
In addition, he has asked for the resignation of the Sea counselor, Alfonso Villares; of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Ángeles Vázquez; and of the Minister of Economy and Industry, María Jesús Lorenzana. «We think that Xunta de Galicia has to change course and the president of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda, is responsible«, He said.
The BNG national spokesman, Ana Pontónand the general secretary of the PSdeG-PSOEJosé Ramón Gómez Besteiro, have come to this mobilization to show their rejection of this project. Pontón has asked that the “immense tide of dignity that is saying Altri no, Galicia yes«, While Besteiro has indicated that«It is not a sustainable project or a future project; It is simply a big lie«.
For its part, the Minister of Economy has accused BNG of mobilizing citizens to protest and al Psdeg to buy the speech and collaborate. They are claiming actions «led and animated by BNG«. «I think nothing new under the sun; It is communism of the 21st century, ”said Lorenzana.
Altri asks for ‘seriousness’ for your project
Othersthrough its subsidiary Greenfiberhe has asked for less “bulos” and “seriousness” for his project to produce in blades (Lugo) cellulose, surely subjected “to a more exhaustive scrutiny at the environmental level” than another, “not only in Galicia, but probably also in Spain.”
Olga Arias, Director of Human Resources and Institutional Relations of Others In Spain he defends in a statement the “transparency” of the proposal to produce sustainable cellulose textile fiberswith a LEADER WATER POVING SYSTEM IN THE INDUSTRY WITH WHICH THEY SAY NOT AFFECT THE ULLA RIVER.
The spokeswoman emphasizes: «We will invest 80 million euros in the most efficient and innovative water purification system that are in the industry to ensure that the status of the Ulla River And, therefore, that it will not affect the Banks Marisqueros de la Ría de Arousa«. “The rest are bulles,” he says, adds that “This is an industrial project of the 21st century that follows Rajataba the guidelines of the European Union«.