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The Three Chimneys of the Besòs

Sant Adrià de Besòs, Barcelonès, Barcelona

1 Villages · 1 Monuments · 1 Nature · 1 Activities · 1 Historical milestones

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The Three Chimneys of the Besòs

Historical milestone · Sant Adrià de Besòs, Barcelonès, Barcelona

The Sant Adrià de Besòs thermal power plant, built at the mouth of the Besòs river, was constructed between 1971 and 1976 by the company Copisa: the first unit came into operation in 1973, the second in 1974 and the third in 1976. Its three chimneys, 90 metres tall above an equal height of boilers, first reached about 180 metres and later, with an added 20-metre section, the 200 metres that marked the coastline. Closed in 2011 and with its interior dismantled, the plant remained standing after a 2008 local referendum in which 82% of residents supported keeping it; the chimneys and the turbine building were declared a local cultural heritage asset between 2016 and 2017. Underwater, the old cooling structures have become an artificial ecosystem with marine life.

1971-1976

Photo: Jordiferrer (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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