Sacyr is delivering the works on the Palencia-Norte Amusco section of the Palencia-Aguilar de Campoo (Palencia) high-speed rail contract for Adif AV. This project runs along Palencia, Husillos, Monzón de Campos and Amusco, for 20.8 km.
In the design stage of the project, Sacyr arranged to dispose of to the close to 325,000 m3 of earthworks spoils in several Palencia landfills, such as soil, clay, silt, sand, gravel, and stone.
By the start of the works, the team overseeing the project detected that the earthwork spoils could be used for a circular economy project to restore San Antolín quarry, 500 meters away from the railway line, in Monzón de Campos.
Sacyr then suggested to lug the clean earthwork spoils and use them to restore the former mining quarry in collaboration with ADIF, the Mines local authority, the Environment area of the Castilla y León government, and the landowner.
Sacyr assumed the management of the quarry restoration and the associated costs.
Threefold positive impact
This restoration project brings a threefold positive economic, environmental, and social impact to the project’s influence area.
- Recovery of approximately 3 ha of agricultural land, which is 10 times the surface of Palencia’s Plaza Mayor.
- Promotes circularity and protects the natural environment, prevents 1,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions due to lesser need of transportation and the restoration of the degraded space.
- Provides a social benefit to the residents of Fuentes de Valdepero, Villaumbrales and Monzón de Campos and the rest of the municipalities in the area who are not exposed to the inconveniences of the spoils transfers.
Sustainability
Sacyr is firmly committed to sustainability in the development of all its activities, using the 2021-2025 Sacyr Sustainable Action Plan as a framework, which set the goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and increase its investment in environmental protection by 50% through 2025.
Sacyr has a zero-waste plan in place for all its projects consisting of reusing at least 80% of construction waste. This example of responsible management has enforced company-wide circularity model with diverse milestones on a national and international level.
Among its latest feats, Sacyr has obtained the Calculo-Reduzco-Compenso badge by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge for the third year in a row.
Sacyr has compensated its carbon footprint with a CO2 absorption project by reforesting a 6.1 ha forest area in Villanueva de Abajo, also in Palencia. This reforestation compensated over 100 tons of carbon dioxide.
This project will allow the regeneration of degraded or natural spaces that have lost their tree cover. Additionally, it contributes to the reduction of erosion, conservation of biodiversity, and creates local jobs.
