Costa Blanca
In Spain, the number of cheap petrol stations is growing

The most recent report from the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) claims that flagship stations—those who enter into an exclusivity agreement with a fuel distributor—continue to suffer as independent service facilities expand. There are 12,631 operational establishments on Spanish territory, according to data from this entity as of December 31, 2024. This is 96 more points of sale than the previous year. However, the majority of them are self-sufficient.
More and less expensive petrol stations
According to the report released by this organisation on February 27th, 2025, independent gas stations accounted for “just over 45% of the network” of gas stations in 2024. The CNMC emphasises “the continuous increase in the networks of Plenergy , Petroprix and Ballenoil (acquired by Cepsa-Moeve while retaining its brand)” . The report notes that these three independent brands’ installations resulted in a corresponding increase in their number of points of sale of 291, 280, and 159.
According to data, these numbers are in contrast to those from 2009, when independent petrol stations made up 28% and the three major operators (BP, Repsol, and Moeve) 55%.
Additionally, these independent brands were used by the service stations that reported a reduced price in 2024. Vilafranca del Penedès (Barcelona)’s Plenergy station had the lowest price for 95 gasoline, “followed by two with the Bonarea label in Olesa de Montserrat (Barcelona) and Castellgalí (Barcelona)”. However, two petrol stations with the Ballenoil label in Morón de la Frontera (Seville) and Torrevieja (Alicante) had the lowest prices for A diesel. These were followed by one with the Petroprix label in Gijón (Asturias) and another with the Plenergy label in Villareal (Castellón).
Additionally, the newsletter provides additional details about Spanish petrol stations. For instance, 14.3% of the network is made up of “unattended or partially unattended” petrol stations.
Less than 25%, between 25% and 50%, and between 50% and 75% of opening hours are partially unattended, while the bulk of this percentage are entirely unattended, meaning that over 75% of operating hours are unattended. In comparison to 2023, there are now 1,799 stations that fit these criteria, which is 338 higher than the previous year.
Despite the promotion of electric automobiles, which hardly increased their sales in 2024, the CNMC also noted that “demand for 95-octane petrol and diesel A was 2.0% higher than in 2023.”
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Costa Blanca
A two car collision in Almoradí left three hurt

At 2:10 p.m. on Thursday 27th March, three men, ages 36, 54, and 67, were hurt in a collision involving two vehicles on the AP7 close to Almoradí.
A SAMU unit and two Basic Life Support units have been sent to the location.
The 67-year-old and 35-year-old males, who each had many injuries and bruises, were taken to the Vega Baja Hospital in Orihuela, while the 54-year-old man, who had multiple injuries, was sent to the General Hospital of Elche.
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Elche is completing the new pavilion in the vicinity of L’Aljub

The new sports pavilion in the L’Aljub neighbourhood is now being built by the municipality of Elche. Along with Francisco Soler, the Deputy Mayor, José Antonio Román, the councillor for sports; and municipal experts, Elche Mayor Pablo Ruz visited the construction site of the new inclusive sports pavilion in the L’Aljub neighbourhood yesterday, Thursday 27th March.
Ruz stated that the project will be finished over the summer, in July or August, assuming all goes as planned, and that it represents an investment of €12.6 million. “Work on this area, which will be able to accommodate important athletic events, training sessions, and cultural gatherings, is moving along nicely. The mayor underlined that the area’s architectural significance required this kind of infrastructure.
“Delays in the works during previous legislative periods have led to the loss of the subsidy for this project, which has now been financed with municipal funds,” the governing team said of the project, which was first included in the Edusi European Funds.
The pavilion can accommodate 3,000 people and has a built-up area of more than 6,600 square meters. There will be 1,500 permanent seats in total, with the remaining seats being moveable and detachable. In addition to a centre court for all sports, the sports complex will feature a service ring with locker rooms, a gym, and weight rooms that are open to everyone.
“We are in the process of putting out to tender the draughting of the reorganisation and traffic access project for this entire area, which is essential for regulating vehicle flow,” Pablo Ruz said in reference to parking and access. Additionally, he suggested making a portion of the municipal parking lot of the L’Aljub Shopping Centre accessible to patrons of this pavilion.
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The Ukrainian House will open “soon” in Torrevieja

Soon, the Ukrainian House in Spain will open in a government-donated property in Torrevieja, Alicante. It will help and counsel individuals who want to return when safety conditions allow, as well as preserve connections between those who have been displaced by the war and their homeland.
After touring the facilities provided by the government in the Care, Reception and Referral Centre building, one of four in Spain along with Madrid, Barcelona and Malaga, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Unity Oleksiy Chernyshov made this statement yesterday, Thursday 27th March, in Torrevieja. Elma Saiz, the Minister of Migration, Social Security and Inclusion, and Eduardo Dolón, the mayor of the city, also shared this viewpoint.
In Torrevieja, a city with over 10,000 registered residents and one of the major hubs of the diaspora in Spain, the Deputy Prime Minister’s presence—bolstered by a robust Guardia Civil presence—was followed by a meeting with leaders of compatriot associations.
Chernyshov clarified that the Ukrainian House will open “very soon” and is anticipated to coincide with the inauguration of the Ukrainian Houses in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, and, most likely, Italy, despite the fact that no opening dates have been set.
Within the Ukrainian ‘Unity Hub Space’ in the EU is the Ukrainian House
The ambitious ‘Unity Hub Space’ initiative, which includes all of these Ukrainian Houses throughout European nations, aims to offer a wide range of services to the Old Continent, including banking, employment, education, healthcare, business assistance, and consular services.
In order to help citizens who had to flee the war feel “connected” to their homeland, the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister underlined the significance of this centre. It also facilitated, under safe conditions, return procedures, such as work permits, the location of schools for minors, and various documents.
Chernyshov said his nation is grateful to Spain for sheltering the people who have been displaced by Russian aggression over the last three years and for making it possible for this Ukrainian House to open.
“A place of encounter and hope,” Minister Saiz said
The Ukrainian House was established as “a space of hope and meeting” to serve Ukrainians, of whom there are thought to be over 230,000 in Spain under temporary protection, according to Elma Saiz, Minister of Migration, Social Security, and Immigration.
According to the data he presented, there are approximately 30,000 youngsters enrolled in the national education system, and he said that over 40,000 Ukrainians have gone through the foster care institutions that the central government has put in place.
About half of the 30,000 diaspora members with temporary protection who are registered with Spanish Social Security are women, demonstrating the “example of integration and inclusion” that has occurred.
Saiz added that the Ukrainian House’s first floor is entirely open-plan, and that the transfer to Ukraine entails that Ukraine will be in charge of assigning particular personnel and overseeing the activities offered.
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