The strategic industrial agenda of Xunta de Galicia is stalling. According to the regional government’s transparency website, 15 projects are currently listed as “proyecto industrial estratégico”. However, several key projects have been halted, postponed or become heavily contested in recent months, despite the accelerated procedures associated with this status.
The most decisive setback has been the major project by Altri: the planned pulp plant in Palas de Rei was archived by the authorities on 10 July 2026. According to the authorities, the additional documents submitted by the Portuguese company were insufficient for the process to continue. Environmental groups and local initiatives that had campaigned against the project for years see the closure of the case as vindication of their opposition. The company has made no public commitment to a fresh attempt.
The hydrogen plant H2 Meiramahas also been abandoned. The project planned for Cerceda had been designated strategic by the Xunta, but the companies involved have since dropped it. No timetable or alternative plan is known. In such cases, the government says that strategic status eases the permitting process but does not replace companies’ investment decisions.
The tyre factory planned by Sentury in As Pontes has meanwhile made no visible progress. Following a period of public announcements, the project is on hold; no construction decision or firm start date has been documented. Here too, the status guarantees neither funding nor completion.
Particularly contentious is the planned resumption of mining at Touro–O Pino. Icomos, the UNESCO advisory body, recommended in June 2026 that the permits already granted be annulled, citing possible impacts on the Camino de Santiago. The Xunta told parliament that it would grant approval only if all conditions were met, and pointed to changes to the project. Local campaign groups and numerous objections continue to exert pressure, while the operators are also seeking support.
Finally, one of the wind farms publicly criticised as a threat to the traditional Rapa das Bestas at the Goya Awards was abandoned by its promoters. The overall picture is clear: the “strategic” category shortens procedures but replaces neither legal scrutiny nor public acceptance—and it does not shield projects from commercial withdrawals. For the Xunta’s industrial policy and the communities affected, this means prolonged uncertainty over the scale and pace of structural change.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).