Puerto Madryn, August 19, 2024 - This week, Technical School No. 728 "Alfonsina Storni" in Puerto Madryn became the epicenter of an innovative project that seeks to transform family farming in the province of Chubut through the use of renewable energy. As part of a practical training, teachers and students built a wind turbine that will be installed on the property of a local producer. Damián Planes and Rafael Gagliardi, members of 500RPM, provided the training, which was attended by Marcelo Álvarez, Undersecretary of Planning and Educational Policies of Chubut, and Leticia Magaldi, deputy of the province.

The initiative is part of the RedER Chubut project, which works to promote the sustainable development of family farming through renewable energy. "One of the axes of the project is to show young people that climate change is not the apocalypse, but a problem that we must solve. Taking action by building a wind turbine has a direct impact on their perspective on the matter. Therefore, we are very happy to begin our actions in the Atlantic zone with this manufacture," explained Luciana Proietti, co-founder and president of Fundación 500RPM, the leading organization in this initiative.

The project, which has already been successful in the western part of the province with nearly 20 producers and 4 technical schools involved in the manufacture of wind turbines, is now expanding to the Atlantic region with great expectations. RedER Chubut focuses its work on three fundamental axes: Production, Education and Governance. In the area of ​​production, the Frutillas del Viento project is implemented in conjunction with INTA, while in education, training is provided to teachers and students for the construction of wind turbines. In terms of governance, work is being done to create public policies that promote the use of renewable energy in family farming.

With financial support from the European Union during the period 2024-2027, the RedER Chubut project seeks to establish a solid network of technical schools in the region that actively participate in the manufacture of 24 wind turbines and in the training of specialized teams in installation and maintenance. This week marked the beginning of a series of actions that will strengthen the presence of renewable energy in family farming in Chubut, with an eye toward a sustainable and equitable future for the region.

The project has two partner organizations for its implementation: the Ibero-American Union of Municipalists (UIM) of Spain and the Patagonia Natural Foundation (FPN), as a local counterpart. The president of FPN, José María Musmeci, said: "This project with 500RPM allows us an important strategic partnership. At FPN, we see the project as a contribution to the problem of climate change and we agree with the strategy of working on production, education and governance in the network of schools and with the support of the European Union." For her part, the coordinator of territorial offices of the UIM for Latin America and the Caribbean, Edna Guidi, said: "Our contribution to the project has to do with the joint work with local governments to achieve the formulation of a basis for public policies related to renewable energies for family agriculture that can really favor and accompany development in the province."