Reindustrialization is a strategic priority for Sestao, seeking to repurpose disused spaces to foster the establishment of new companies and create jobs. A prime example is the recently approved Special Urban Planning Plan for the former La Naval lands, designed to regenerate the area for future business developments. An agreement has already been signed with the Belgian company VGP, the landowner, for the urbanization project of the entire site, involving an investment of 12.8 million euros to cover the stands of the defunct shipyard and transform the area into a large industrial park. This progress is now complemented by a new initiative in the Ibarzaharra industrial park.
The City Council has granted a license to the company Gescrap-Reimasa to replace the asbestos-contaminated fiber cement roof and remove disused equipment from the old Productos Tubulares factory. This factory, dating back to 1960, closed three years ago after decades of manufacturing and marketing seamless steel pipes. The resolution, signed this week, will allow work to proceed on several buildings within the complex. Specifically, operations will cover approximately 8,000 square meters to eliminate materials that have reached the end of their useful life, including the aforementioned roofs, and dismantle obsolete installations linked to the old smoke extraction system. This project will involve an investment of nearly 250,000 euros.
“"We are talking about an important action because it allows the removal of an asbestos roof that had reached the end of its useful life and also to act on obsolete installations in an industrial area very significant for Sestao. The intervention will improve the safety, health, and environmental quality of the surroundings, and aligns with this City Council's commitment to continue organizing, caring for, and transforming our productive spaces."
As highlighted by the mayor, this action represents a new step in the municipal strategy for regenerating degraded industrial spaces, with a dual objective. It aims not only to improve safety in the area but also to prepare it for future developments that will encourage the incorporation of new businesses and job creation in a municipality that has historically suffered from the highest unemployment rates in the region. Currently, the rate stands at 14.8%, higher than Santurtzi (13.2%), Portugalete (12%), and Barakaldo (11.4%).
The project has a favorable report from the Basque Water Agency (URA), and the license establishes several conditions prior to the start of works, such as the presentation of the endorsed execution project, the appointment of the technical management and health and safety coordination, as well as the approval of the corresponding waste and safety plans. In the case of the roof, authorization from the competent civil supervision authority will also be required before work begins.
