• Facultade de Económicas

    Universidade de Vigo

  • observatorio.eolico@uvigo.gal

OEGA is part of a European consortium in the Life project to promote the transition to clean energy in rural areas

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  • OEGA is part of a European consortium in the Life project to promote the transition to clean energy in rural areas
10 October, 2023
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With a budget of 1.6 million euros, the EC4RURAL project is co-funded by the Life Programme and will be implemented in the period 2023-2027. The University of Vigo leads the multidisciplinary consortium including the University of Tartu (EE), the Galician Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (ES), the Association of Estonian Cities and Municipalities (EE), the Tartu Regional Energy Agency (EE), Sapiens Energía (ES), the Estonian Leader Union (ELU), Espazocoop Union of Galician Cooperatives (ES), Juana de Vega Foundation (ES) and the European Leader Association for Rural Development (BE).

“Fostering local engagement for Clean Energy Transition in Rural Areas through Energy Communities” is the title of a new European project led by the University of Vigo. The project is co-funded by the LIFE Programme, under the sub-programme Clean Energy Transition, and was approved after a very competitive process. The project started on September 1st, 2023, and it will last for 48 months.

EC4RURAL will boost the creation of Energy Communities (REC) in rural municipalities. The following Galician councils are part of the project: Avión, Becerreá, Entrimo, Mazaricos, Moeche, Monterroso, Muíños, Muras, Ordes, Ourol, Outes, Palas de Rei, A Pobra do Brollón, O Rosal, Salvaterra de Miño, Silleda, Sober, Tomiño, Tordoia, O Valadouro, Vedra e Vilasantar. Almost 94,000 inhabitants are living in these municipalities with a total surface of almost 2,700 hectares.

EC4RURAL project aims to help deepen and transform relationships between local and regional authorities and rural communities to contribute to the clean energy transition (CET) in Europe while ensuring active participation of rural areas and local stakeholders and making sure they are not left behind. The project will make sure that rural communities are part of and benefit from CET processes led by communities producing electricity through photovoltaic panels.

UVIGO is the coordinating entity. And the coordinator of the project is Professor Xavier Simón, head of the Galician Wind Observatory. The project launch meeting took place on September 20 and 21 at the UVIGO Redeiras Building.

More information about the project on its website, or directly to this email.