II. Early commitment to technology

The main promoters of Emesa were engineers linked to Fenosa, and for this reason, at the beginning, many of the works carried out by the company in its metal fabrication section were for this Galician electricity company. This is the case of the penstock built for the Forcadas, Salto de las Conchas, Tambre, Albarellos, Salas and Mao power stations, all in Galicia. This privileged positioning as supplier to the main electricity company in the north-eastern region of Spain, along with the lack of much competition typical of a planned economy in full process of industrialization, made Emesa’s rapid growth possible. This meant that, at its very beginning, the company underwent successive expansions and improvements in its installations.

But Emesa did not just take advantage of its favourable situation, but committed itself to developing its own technology. To do this, it set up the Laboratory of Mechanical and Chemical Testing, which, headed by engineer Peregrín Estellés, would have marked success in the development of high-strength wire and cables. With these products, which surpassed any other in the market, Emesa gained an international reputation.

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