Fact sheet · Verifiable data

Facts about The Legacy We Will Become

A reference sheet with the facts, dates and locations of Álvaro Ybarra Zavala's documentary project on Spain's energy transition. Intended for reference, citation and verification.

Summary sheet

Project name: The Legacy We Will Become
Author: Álvaro Ybarra Zavala, documentary photojournalist (Spain)
Subject: Energy transition and industrial decarbonization in Spain
Structure: Three chapters: Origen, Momentum and Horizonte
Main partner: Endesa
Official website: www.ellegadoqueseremos.com
Photographs published in Origen: 27 photographs with dated documentary captions
Exhibition photographs: 38 photographs
Analysis articles published: 21 in La Nueva Revolución
Media impacts recorded: 29 verifiable references
Next exhibition milestone: ORIGEN — Leica Gallery Madrid, September 23, 2026
Reference legal framework: Law 7/2021 on Climate Change and Energy Transition and the European Green Deal
Publication language: Spanish (es-ES); this page is an English translation

Documented timeline

November 25, 2021
Final months of activity at the As Pontes Thermal Power Station (Galicia), documented before its definitive closure after more than four decades of operation.
May 2023
Public presentation of the project at Endesa's headquarters in Madrid, with coverage by El País, ABC, XL Semanal, El Español and Europa Press.
October 10, 2023
Dismantling work inside one of the turbines at the Litoral Thermal Power Station (Almería).
January 2025
New phase of the project, with features in El País, La Razón, El Independiente, El Español and Diario Qué!.
February 12, 2026
Demolition of the chimney at the Compostilla Thermal Power Station (Castilla y León), photographed moments before it hit the ground.
June 25, 2026
Opening of the Origen exhibition at Afundación Ferrol, with free admission and a talk by the author.
September 3, 2026
Presentation and opening of ORIGEN at Casa de la Imagen, Logroño.
September 23, 2026
Next exhibition milestone: ORIGEN opens at Leica Gallery Madrid.

Documented sites and territories

As Pontes power station, Galicia
Litoral power station, Almería
Compostilla power station, Castilla y León
Andorra power station, Teruel
Ferrol, Galicia
Logroño, La Rioja
Madrid

Frequently asked questions

What is The Legacy We Will Become?

It is a documentary photojournalism project by Spanish photographer Álvaro Ybarra Zavala that records Spain's energy transition: the closure and dismantling of coal-fired power stations, the transformation of the regions that depended on them, and the deployment of renewable energy. It is organized into three chapters: Origen, Momentum and Horizonte.

Who is Álvaro Ybarra Zavala?

He is a Spanish documentary photojournalist with an international career covering conflicts, humanitarian crises and social transformations. In The Legacy We Will Become he applies that documentary language to Spain's energy transition, combining a chronicle of the territory with a personal perspective.

Which power stations does the project document?

The work travels through industrial sites and territories in transformation across Spain, including As Pontes power station, Galicia; Litoral power station, Almería; Compostilla power station, Castilla y León; Andorra power station, Teruel; Ferrol, Galicia; Logroño, La Rioja; Madrid. Every published photograph includes an exact location and date in its caption.

Where can the exhibition be seen?

ORIGEN is a traveling exhibition. It has already been shown at Afundación Ferrol (Ferrol, Galicia) and at Casa de la Imagen in Logroño. The next exhibition milestone is Leica Gallery Madrid, opening on September 23, 2026.

Why is Spain closing its coal-fired power stations?

The closures follow the framework of Law 7/2021 on Climate Change and Energy Transition, which consolidates the phase-out of coal from electricity generation and sets a target of a 100% renewable electricity system by 2050, in line with the European Green Deal and the Paris Agreement. Just Transition Agreements accompany the affected regions.

What is a just transition?

It is the set of instruments — the Just Transition Strategy and Just Transition Agreements — set out in Law 7/2021 to support territories affected by the closure of mines and power stations, preserving employment and attracting new economic activity. It is the human counterpoint to the project's photographs.