New infrastructure signals economic opportunity for local sport

The new modern sports complex at Europa Point aims to be environmentally sustainable and seeks to provide the foundation blocks for a sports industry in Gibraltar, Steven Linares, the Minister for Sports, said yesterday.

Mr Linares was speaking to reporters during a visit to the site, which he said was also incorporating heritage elements that add to the tourist offering in the area.

Mr Linares outlined how the sports and culture ministries had joined forces and worked alongside the Ministry of the Environment to address all the different aspects of the scheme, which is still under construction but is now well advanced.

The facilities will combine sports with heritage and tourism needs in the area, whilst also providing renewable energy resources to power the complex.

Solar panels expected to generate more energy than the facilities would use at full power, with any excess channelled into the grid.

“Imagine how much it would cost to run the complex,” Mr Linares said the goal was to have a facility that was “cost neutral” to run.

“With renewables we are going to have electricity from the sun. We will sometimes have to use the grid, but we will also be investing into the grid.”

The sports facilities are expected to be run by a sports trust, formed by participating associations, alongside the Government.

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