This Friday, we welcomed Marcos Escudero, Head of the Industrial Policy Department at the Ministry, and Iker Chasco, Managing Director of Enercluster, to our facilities in Lakuntza. Representing SAKANA Group were Jaime Urcola, Managing Director, and Gorka Eceolaza, Chairman of the Board, who guided the visit and presented the improvements the cooperative plans to implement in the coming years: the immediate expansion of 2,000 m² across the machining, painting, and shipping plants, as well as the rezoning of an additional 25,000 m² in the area near Arbizu.
Taking advantage of the visit, SAKANA Group requested institutional support from the Ministry of Industry and Tourism to undertake these strategic investments, highlighting the main barriers currently slowing the project’s growth.
One of the most evident challenges lies in the region’s limited electrical capacity. The plant operates on a 12 kV connection, which allows for the operation of one of the melting lines but is insufficient for both to work simultaneously, thereby limiting the cooperative’s production capacity. “We’re not only talking about SAKANA Group — we’re talking about the industrial foundation of a region that provides employment, innovation, and community roots. If we want a strong industrial base in the area, the electrical network must reach where the companies are,” emphasized Gorka Eceolaza.
Alongside the energy demand, SAKANA Group also expressed to the Ministry its concern over the logistical difficulties involved in transporting large-scale components, especially those destined for the offshore wind market. The corridor leading to the Port of Bilbao — from which many of these parts are shipped — has physical limitations: currently, the transport of pieces up to five meters in height is permitted, whereas industry trends are moving toward components exceeding six meters.
During the meeting, it was also noted that these improvement requests are part of a broader global context of increasing industrial competitiveness, driven by the advance of Asian manufacturers. “We are a cooperative company that has managed to compete in global markets without losing its roots. This project strengthens our position, but it requires supportive conditions in terms of energy and infrastructure,” stated Urcola.
