The Spanish government has thrown its support behind SAIC Motor's plan to build its first European electric vehicle factory in Ferrol, saying national security objections will not block the project even as defence and intelligence services warn of espionage risks tied to the site's proximity to a naval arsenal and the Navantia shipyard.
Digital Transformation Minister Óscar López said the state can impose conditions to safeguard sensitive military installations. The €200 million facility, planned on a 70,000-square-metre former industrial site, is expected to produce 120,000 vehicles annually by late 2028, with construction starting in 2027 and a companion logistics hub in As Pontes adding further employment.
Galician President Alfonso Rueda urged Madrid to reconcile security concerns with what regional officials call one of the largest international investments in decades. The project remains in administrative processing.