Berkeley Energia Limited (LON:BKY) has highlighted the “huge amount of support” from locals for its Salamanca uranium project in western Spain.
Last week, the government of Castilla y Léon rejected a request from opposition groups to halt the project. That follows the public backing received from local business leaders earlier this month.
READ: BKY to bring Salamanca on stream at just the right time
Salamanca, which is costing €250mln to develop, is creating 2,500 employment opportunities for a region which has been starved of jobs.
So far, Berkeley has received 22,500 job applications, including a quarter of the population of one village near the mine.
“There is a huge amount of support for the Salamanca mine, which is located in a region experiencing some of the highest levels of youth unemployment in the European Union,” said chief executive Paul Atherley.
‘Proud of our investment’
“Earlier this year the Minister of Economy and Finance for Castilla y Leon, Pilar del Olmo, heralded the investment that the Company is making in the region, commenting that the Salamanca mine will bring 'a generation of direct employment.'
“We are incredibly proud of our investment and the rejuvenation it will bring to the local community.”
He added: “We of course recognise that aspects of any project will generate opposition and we have a responsibility to accommodate genuine concerns raised ensuring that our investment meets the very highest environmental and community standards.
“We welcome this scrutiny that will help rank the Salamanca mine among the very best mines in the world and a source of pride throughout Spain.”
Berkeley shares 5.6% to 40.9p on Monday morning.