Fábrica das Algas = Blackhole Funding

In Search of Hope – by Sam Gannon

Seconded to the parish of Tililngdon, the Reverend Dolores has been presented with a challenge.

She’s living in an antiquated house and she’s cold. Furthermore, her new Bishop, Bishop Alice does not approve of ‘showgirls in dog collars.’

Determined to prove the Bishop wrong, she sets about warming her house – who cares if it smells of horse! There is the crochet club, jumble sale, and soup run to organise. And this year, the church bells will ring, no matter what threats are made. Even more so, the newly formed choir will spread a little joy this Christmas, even though they can’t sing – yet! And with a little help from Phil, her bassist, this year could be full of magic.

However, she has a fight on her hands as the townies out in Knob Hill – she must stop calling it that, are trying to stop her from ringing her bells. When Krystal with a K decides to do some volunteer work, Dolores sets out to see just how committed she really is.

Up to her ears in granny squares and squawking choristers, Dolores is revving up for Christmas, yet a deeper darker secret is beginning to emerge!

A secret that could blow the whole parish apart and put Dolores in danger.

(available from Amazon)

Juntos pelo Povo (JPP), has expressed its “deep discontent” with the predictable outcome of the investment in the so-called ‘Fábrica das Algas’, a project of the Madeira Electricity Company (EEM) that involved more than 50 million euros and aimed to transform algae into biofuel to ensure the energy independence of the island of Porto Santo.

Rafael Nunes, vice-president of the JPP parliamentary group, contested EMM’s decision to sell its stake in the Porto Santo microalgae unit for just six million euros.

“It is the throwing in the towel by this public company that invested large amounts of taxpayers’ money in a megalomaniac project, based on an untested prototype of a microalgae production unit that would allegedly produce biofuel that would guarantee the energy independence of the island of Porto Santo,” he said.

Fifty-plus million euros later, and after failed reconversions, to the cosmetics and fertilizers industry, EEM decides to sell its stake for six million euros. This example is yet another ruinous business of the Regional Government, through its subsidiary EEM, a kind of Marina do Lugar de Baixo, Porto Santo version, a monument to the lack of rigor in the use of public money that the JPP has always vehemently condemned.”

Samantha Gannon

info at madeira-weekly.com