January 18, 24.– The project to reactivate the facilities of the military quartering of Monte la Reina, in Toro (Zamora), is progressing very favourably, as noted today by the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, and the Secretary of State for Defense, Amparo Valcarce, who have seen first-hand the progress of this plan for a future permanent base of the Spanish Army, which will be a benchmark in sustainability and energy efficiency.
The refurbishment of these infrastructures, which have been closed since 1997 and will have capacity for up to 1,500 soldiers, is a reference project for the Ministry of Defense, in which the most advanced cutting-edge technologies are being applied. It will also have a very positive impact on the regional economy, as a generator of wealth and employment.
Minister Robles, who has attended several presentations and made a tour of the grounds of the former military camp, thanked all the institutions involved and reiterated the commitment of the Government of Spain to this project which, she said, “will be positive for the province, for Castilla y León and for the Spanish Army”. Its reopening is scheduled for 2027.
“The Spanish Army is a luxury in all areas, it not only deserves the best but it works in the best way, therefore this project is a winning tandem, led by the Spanish Army and with the collaboration of the institutions,” said the head of Defense during the visit, in which the government delegate in Castilla y León, Nicanor Sen, and the mayor president of Toro, Rafael González, among other authorities, were also present.
Robles, who was accompanied by the Chief of Staff of the Spanish Army, Army General Amador Teachat, attended several presentations on the current state of the project, by the Director General of Infrastructure, Lieutenant General Luis Cebrián; the CEO of ISDEFE, Francisco Quereda, and the Director of Infrastructure of the ET, Division General Joaquín de la Torre.
During his presentation, Lieutenant General Cebrián has detailed that the reconditioning tasks are currently in its second phase, addressing works such as the treatment and management of plant waste or the creation of road infrastructures. In the first phase, action was already taken on the conditioning of the land, the closing or demolition of buildings, among others.
COLLABORATION AND MODERNIZATION
The proposal to reopen these former military installations was based on an initiative of local authorities and Zamoran civil society and responds to the Government’s commitment to decentralizing the institutional presence in the country, in addition to guaranteeing the presence of the Army in other Spanish provinces.
In line with the modernization plan of the Army, the project also includes the implementation of the latest technologies in energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, applying the most innovative and efficient solutions to optimize energy consumption, procurement processes focused on a circular and proximity economy and the use of environmentally friendly materials, as Robles has seen during its tour.
At the same time, it will have a positive and dynamic impact on the local economy, through an investment that will generate employment and resources, boosting the development of the area and stimulating the industrial fabric.
The current refurbishment project also includes collaboration with institutions such as the University of Salamanca, which through its departments of computer engineering, technical architecture or civil engineering will contribute its specialized knowledge, and with ISDEFE, Systems Engineering for Defense, which provides high added value services in engineering and consulting in the field of defense and security.
The military quartering of Monte la Reina began in 1944 as a military camp of the university militias and later as a field of maneuvers. With the passage of the years and the professionalization of the Army was decreasing its activity until its closure in 1997.
The refurbishment of the Monte la Reina facilities is part of the major modernization projects carried out by the Ministry of Defense, which allow the development of R+D+I and apply a dynamizing effect to the economy and employment, as are also the Logistics Base of the Spanish Army, in Córdoba, and the Technological Center for Development and Experimentation (CETEDEX), in Jaén.