The impact of the Perte of the electric vehicle continues to shrink. Now, due to the reduction of the investments planned by the so-called Nissan decarbonization hub, which will receive 65 million euros compared to the 107.8 assigned in the Perte, because it has not been able to gather more bank guarantees. With this, the already low execution of the Perte is further reduced, to 28% of the planned aid, a total of 2,975 million. But only 834 million have been awarded.
The hub consortium, made up of 16 companies, will receive a total of 65 million euros, according to a statement released on Tuesday by its promoters. Of these, 48 million would correspond to the leading companies, QEV and BTech, which are the ones that must develop the project itself and which are the ones that have had the difficulties to obtain the required guarantees. The rest would be for the 14 companies, mostly SMEs, that accompany the investment.
QEV and Btech have been forced to give up 40% of the aid that had been assigned to them in the Perte because they did not get enough support from the bank. This despite the fact that the Institut Català de Finances (ICF) acts as guarantor and counterguarantor of private banks. In total, the ICF has countervalidated the 10.5 million euros contributed by CaixaBank (5 million), Abanca (4 million) and Banc Sabadell (1.5 million). In addition to these entities, Andbank contributes to the guarantees, with some 32 million, Avalis, with 4 and some insurers.
The signing of the guarantees with the banks caused scenes of great confusion on Monday in a Barcelona notary due to the lack of documents or even the absence of some protagonists, according to sources familiar with the conversations. So hectic was the process that the Ministry of Industry has not yet considered the matter closed until it thoroughly reviewed the documentation sent on Monday night.
“These guarantees are a new example of the strategic role and the great potential of the reindustrialization plan of the hub, and we are very grateful for all the trust and support received,” said Joan Orús, CEO of QEV, in a note.
“We are approaching the final stretch of the process, and our priorities and the reindustrialization plan remain intact,” he added. He also highlighted that an ambitious electromobility project will be implemented, which will be an opportunity to relocate the old Nissan staff and that “it will also create new business for the automotive sector.” It is planned to manufacture electric vehicles of different types
