In Spain, the just stumbling transition on the outing of the coal

"Being a minor, that meant something," regrets José Juárez, under the tired eye of a rusty metal turret which once served to reassemble the coal via a system of underground rails.The site was to be a station from which the precious black ore would leave.It’s today a museum.The Mwinas tells the story of the mining industry and coal soldiers in the small town of Andorra, lost in the middle of "Empty Spain", in the Aragon region.Today, there are only a few relics left behind a window, black and white photos and a host of memories.

Because Spain comes out of coal.At the beginning of the summer of 2020, a wave of closing thermal power plants and the economic situation put the experts in agreement: the kingdom will be able to do without coal for its electricity production before 2025.A particularly fast outing, in a country where 13.5 % of electricity came from black ore in 2018.And less than 4 % in 2020.

This wave won with it the huge "Teruel" central, in the commune of Andorra, where some 255 employees were still working in early 2020.

To amortize the shock, Endesa, a company that has exploited coal here for decades, has launched the largest retraining program of a thermal power plant in Spain's renewable energy production site.The “future-e» plan.The company provides for "an investment of 1,427 million euros" to install "1,725 megawatts (MW) of production capacity.1,585 in photovoltaics and 140 wind turbines, by 2026 », according to its communication service.It promises "4,014 jobs during the construction stage and 138 for more than 25 years in operating and maintenance activities.»

The transition, ecological and fair?

“They talk about transition. Moi, j’appelle ça une trahison», tranche amèrement Ángel Villen, assis à la terrasse d’un bar, au centre-ville d’Andorra.He was 21 years old when he entered the power plant.After 32 years of good and loyal service, here he is unemployed.

He is seated with Joaquín, Antonio, José Luis and a few others, in a small pedestrian street where bars and cafes were aligned with sparse terraces, pandemic obliges, at the end of summer 2020.

Ancients of the mines or the power plant, they all experienced in person the gradual closure of the coal industry, which began in the 2000s.Some have benefited from early pensions, another must be transferred, without knowing where.

Mais tout le monde partage l’inquiétude d’Ángel pour l’avenir de la commune, dans cette “Espagne vide», éloignée des bassins d’emplois, délaissée par les services publics, que ses jeunes fuient.

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Necessary end of coal

The transition is however necessary. En 2018, le charbon était responsable de plus de 44 % des émissions d’équivalent CO₂ dans le monde, selon l’Agence internationale de l’énergie. Mais le changement doit être “juste», selon les défenseurs de l’environnement.Otherwise, workers and social classes left on the side of the road will oppose it. Comme les “Gilets jaunes» ont refusé la “taxe carbone».

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The Spanish government, which has put the ecological transition at the center of its communication, prides itself on applying the principles of this fair transition.Those who have the most to lose must benefit from the new opportunities it offers. Des outils ont été mis en place, comme les “Conventions de transition juste». Le pays est cité en exemple par des personnalités du calibre de Laurence Tubiana, considérée comme “l’architecte de l’accord de Paris».

Job promises

At the time of closure of the power plant, Endesa assured that its plan would allow the reallocations of its 153 direct employees, and will give absolute priority to those who worked for subcontracting companies.Like Ángel.Fourteen months later, the company ensures: "We respect the steps we were talking about last year.Dismantling [old installations] advances.The week of September 6, 176 workers in the power station, with 60 % local employment.At the end of September, there will be 200.»

Not enough to calm worries."So far, what had been promised to the right transition has not materialized by the installation of new businesses. Ça se ressent beaucoup dans les commerces, qui ferment peu à peu», assure aujourd’hui Antonio, assis à la même terrasse que l’an passé.Ángel was hired recently.To clean the asbestos which served as thermal insulation at the central."Endesa respects its dismantling plan, but peaks of activities will never be only peaks. Nous n’avons pas d’alternative derrière», dénonce Alejo Galve, président du comité d’entreprise de la société électrique, dans le journal local, El Heraldo de Aragón, en juillet dernier.

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Touched in their identity

In addition to the economic challenge, the energy transition upsets the identities shaped by the golden age of the precious black ore.Before the power plant, the many Andorra mines closed one by one. “Ça fait mal», explique José Juárez."When we drew 4 % of the electricity in the country of Andorra, we were great.Now we are told that smoke dries up the trees.OK.If it's bad, it's bad.But don't leave us without a radish.» Devant le MWINAS, l’ancien mineur plonge dans ses souvenirs.Underground mines, those who never got out of it.Fear in the stomach on each descent.The misery of those who immigned from the poor regions of Spain to earn a living here, in the austere era of the Dictatorship of Franco.Like her parents, who came from Andalusia.

The streets and places in the city are populated by sculptures to the glory of coal heroes, in memory of their work and their struggles to tear up better living conditions.“La fierté d’être mineur vient de la dureté du travail et de la solidarité qu’elle engendrait», explique Josefina Lerma Loscos, économiste, enfant du pays et autrice d’un livre sur l’histoire de l’industrie extractive dans ce bassin minier (De Carbón es la luz, non traduit).

Pride to be a minor

“L’exploitation du charbon à grande échelle commence à se développer dans les années 40», explique l’économiste.At the time, Andorra was a village of just under 3,000 souls.Twenty years later, it is a real small town, which has nearly 8,000 inhabitants.“To promote the arrival of workers, EncaoS [State company that operated the site before Endesa, editor's note] built a mining village ', with accommodation and food or fabric stores, hairdressers, a school, a chapel… The company offered employment security and most of the vital expectations of the population were turned to it.»

“Pour nous, c’était ‘l’Entreprise’», se souvient Joaquín Valero, 66 ans, retraité de la mine.He sips a beer with ángel, Antonio and José Luis in the last days of the summer of 2020.“We don't even name it.Everyone knew who it was.Me, I was very good student.But at 17, I left everything to enter ‘the company’.It opened you its doors and the next day, you had money in your hands, you knew where you were going, the other workers came to eat at home.It was like a family.»

The guests agree around the table. “Cette rue piétonne, elle était pleine ! Nous sortions du travail et tout le monde était là», raconte Antonio.– Avec de l’argent», ajoute Joaquín.– Les bars étaient ouverts toute la nuit», reprend le premier.– Et on restait jusqu’à 3 ou 4 heures du matin», regrette Ángel.- You had to live, add Antonio.The mine, you knew when you entered, but not when you came out.»

Meadows sacrificed to coal and for the benefit of cities

Mines and central employed 1,500 people directly.The activity generated indirectly gave work to 1,500 other.In normal condition, Andorra debuted 6,500 megawatts.Around 4 % of the country's electricity on its 40th anniversary.

“La grande frustration est d’avoir vu le déclin approcher et de constater que la réindustrialisation n’a pas été efficace», analyse Josefina Lerma.“In the province of Teruel in general, there is the painful feeling of having sacrificed the landscape (ripped by the mines, editor's note), suffered the pollution and diverted from the water that could have been used for something else, but not tonot have received a fair compensation.It’s a magnificent territory, but very little populated.There is no one to defend it against wind farms, which will benefit a few companies but will only create a handful of jobs here.»

“Nous devons faire quelque chose pour le climat», concède María Ángeles Tomás, directrice du musée des mines.From the Quai du Grand Hangar which houses the memories of this missing world, it sits on the hilly nature which extends around Andorra.“We could develop responsible tourism, for example.The electricity produced here is for the big cities.Basically, we remain a colony of raw material. Comme avec le charbon…»

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