Benidorm aims to get 3 million European funds to reduce electricity consumption by almost 79%

Benidorm City Council is going to attend a call for European funds with the aim of raising 3 million euros to develop an energy efficiency project that allows reducing electricity consumption by almost 79%. This has been transferred today by the mayor, Toni Pérez, after the Local Government Board (JGL) has given its approval to the project of 'Supply and installation of LED lights and regulation and control for the improvement in energy efficiency in Benidorm public lighting installations'. A project that has been drawn up by municipal technicians, which amounts to just over 6 million euros, and which foresees the replacement of more than 7,800 luminaires throughout the city, approximately 55% of the total.

Toni Pérez explained that "in addition to saving on electricity consumption, implanting LED technology in all these light points would mean reducing CO2 emissions by 2,422.78 tons per year". In addition, he stressed that "developing this project would mean that in just 5 years we have managed to renovate and make more than 95% of the public lighting in Benidorm much efficient, since to date 41% of the lights in the city have technology LED ”.

The Mayor has detailed that the call to which Benidorm is going to participate is part of the ERDF Operational Program for sustainable growth 2014-2020, which subsidizes “singular projects presented by local entities that favor the transition to a low carbon economy "; in tune with what the City Council's Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) establishes.

Under the terms of the call, the selected projects will receive European funds to pay for half the project; while the remaining 50% must be assumed by the local administration. In this case, the Benidorm City Council should finance 3 million euros.

Toni Pérez pointed out that "this project reaches all the neighborhoods of Benidorm, since it proposes acting on the first line of Levante and Poniente, in the Ensanche de Levante, Colonia Madrid, Casco Antiguo, Centro area, Calvari, La Cala, Els Tolls, Rincón de Loix, the main accesses to the city, Salt de l'Aigua, Alfredo Corral, surroundings of Vía Parque, Finca Barrina, Mercasa, Ciudad Deportiva Guillermo Amor and Parque de l'Aigüera, among others ”.

In addition to replacing more than 7,800 luminaires, the project also includes the change of 132 command centers and electromagnetic and electronic equipment to regulate and control each of the light points. It also foresees the installation of a point-to-point remote management system to monitor and control all the lighting and to be able to individually regulate the light intensity and the on and off times of each luminaire.

"We want to continue advancing in sustainability and betting on the implementation of all the technological advances that allow us to be more efficient and more respectful with the environment every day, reducing CO2 emissions and thereby improving the quality of life of citizens," underlined.