- Memories between energy. The Compostilla I and II thermal power plants' proposes a tour in audiovisual format through the history and the most relevant milestones of Endesa since it was born 80 years ago in El Bierzo.
- The exhibition, which reflects the close ties of the electric company with the territory, includes testimonies of people who have worked or are closely related to the production of energy thanks to coal.
- The exhibition will be open to the public from today and free of charge.
Endesa Foundation has inaugurated this morning a permanent exhibition space in La Térmica Cultural, where, under the title Memories between energy. The Compostilla I and II thermal power stationsThe exhibition shows the importance that the company has had and still has in the socio-economic development of El Bierzo, the birthplace of the electricity company almost 80 years ago. The territorial director of Endesa in the Northwest, Miguel Temboury; and the general director of the Energy City Foundation (CIUDEN), Yasodhara López; and the head of projects of the Endesa Foundation, Antonio Mera , have been responsible for opening this exhibition before fifty guests who have been able to immerse themselves in the history of the company in an entertaining way, thanks to the audiovisual format of the exhibition.
The material used for the preparation of the exhibition comes from Endesa's Historical Fund, managed by its Foundation and created with the aim of contributing to the recovery, conservation and enhancement of the company's cultural legacy, which is, in turn, part of the heritage of our country; and also to offer the public a working tool and source of reference, with a very clear philosophy: to link the past, present and future of Endesa with that of the society in which it operates.
In this sense, the new initiative, which will be open to the public from today and free of charge, highlights the evolution of thermal energy production with coal in the territory, through the life of the Compostilla I and II power plants. The exhibition space aims to combine tradition and modernity through 5 different areas; not only in content, but also in the way they are told, playing with gamification to attract the visitor's attention.
- Welcome: introduction to the exhibition.
- Endesa in the territory: in audiovisual format, it shows the evolution of energy production in the territory, through the coal-fired power plants of Compostilla I and II (showing the relevant historical milestones, from the construction of the first plant, its production stages, to its subsequent closure and, in the case of Compostilla I, its reopening as a cultural center, the aforementioned La Térmica Cultural); it also highlights the strong historical link between Endesa and El Bierzo.
- History of Compostilla: consists of a timeline that forms the axis of the exhibition, through which visitors will be able to know these milestones in detail and learn about the history of the company in the region and its evolution over time: from its origin in the 1940s with the inauguration of Compostilla I, the subsequent Compostilla II, to the cessation of its activity.
- TestimonialsThis space shows the perspectives and experiences of people who have worked at Endesa or are related to the energy industry, through interviews displayed on small screens.
- Miguel Temboury, Endesa's regional director in the Northwest
- Alfredo García, former director of the Compostilla II thermal power plant.
- Yasodhara López, General Director of the Energy City Foundation (CIUDEN).
- María Domínguez, a retired Compostilla I and II worker, daughter of a Compostilla worker.
- Cristina Rodríguez, daughter and granddaughter of Compostilla workers, resident of the Compostilla neighborhood, former Compostilla II worker and current Endesa employee at UPH Noroeste.
- Interactive virtual tour: our 360º virtual tour of the Compostilla II thermal power plant is available to visitors on an ultra-panoramic touch screen.
This exhibition is part of a close collaboration between the Endesa Foundation and the Ciudad de la Energía Foundation (CIUDEN), which has been developed in three different areas: last year's transfer of digital material for the virtual reality experience Turn on La TérmicaThe transfer, also in 2023, of 20 elements of technological heritage from Compostilla II, which was placed in the facilities of La Térmica Cultural; and the collaboration to carry out the production of this permanent exhibition.
For his part, Endesa's regional director in the Northwest, Miguel Temboury, said during the opening ceremony that "the exhibition conveys the importance that Endesa has had and has had in Ponferrada and El Bierzo, everything it has contributed to its economic, social and cultural development. And it does so from a human point of view, focusing on the most important thing: people". "This land is the seed of our company and our commitment to it is firm, we continue working to be a vector of growth and prosperity," he stressed.
The general manager of the Ciudad de la Energía Foundation (CIUDEN), Yasodhara López, stressed that "the recovery of the former Compostilla I thermal power plant as a cultural center is already a reality and its varied programming is already an incentive that brings this space back to life, but it is necessary to preserve and disseminate the history and origin of this rich industrial heritage. For this reason, I would like to emphasize the importance of the heritage value that it represents for the facility to have an exhibition space that reflects the evolution of such an important part of our history, of our memory and of our territory".
Likewise, the director of museums, heritage and culture of the Ciudad de la Energía Foundation (CIUDEN), Concepción Fernández, said that "this exhibition is a new step in the development of the cultural center of Ponferrada, which reinforces the permanent exhibition offer of La Térmica Cultural and, precisely, it does so by focusing on the historical theme of the plant itself in the 50s".
And finally, the Endesa Foundation's project manager, Antonio Mera, stressed that "actions like this allow us not only to continue highlighting Endesa's historical heritage, but also to give a voice to all those people who dedicated their efforts and knowledge to making the Spanish energy sector a reality. Today we can give them the prominence they deserve after contributing, for so many years, to the history of our country".
