v3.20.4
Employee benefit expenses and other operating income and expenses
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Employee benefit expenses other operating income and expenses [Abstract]  
Employee benefit expenses and other operating income and expenses
Note 20.- Employee benefit expenses and other operating income and expenses

Employee benefit expenses
 
The table below shows employee benefit expenses and number of employees for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018:
 
  
For the year ended December 31,
 
  
2020
  
2019
  
2018
 
Employee benefit expenses
  
54,464
   
32,246
   
15,130
 
Average monthly number of employees
  
441
   
306
   
207
 

The increase in employee benefit expenses in 2020 and 2019 is primarily due to the internalization of operation and maintenance services in the U.S. solar assets of the Company, following the acquisition of ASI Operations in July 2019.

Other operating income and expenses

The table below shows the detail of Other operating income and expenses for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018:
  
For the year ended December 31,
 
Other operating income
 
2020
  
2019
  
2018
 
Grants
  
59,010
   
59,142
   
59,421
 
Income from various services and insurance proceeds
  
40,515
   
34,632
   
34,181
 
Income from the purchase of the long-term operation and maintenance payable to Abengoa
  
-
   
-
   
38,955
 
Total
  
99,525
   
93,774
   
132,557
 

  
For the year ended December 31,
 
Other operating expenses
 
2020
  
2019
  
2018
 
Raw materials and consumables used
  
(7,792
)
  
(9,719
)
  
(10,648
)
Leases and fees
  
(2,531
)
  
(1,850
)
  
(1,716
)
Operation and maintenance
  
(110,873
)
  
(116,018
)
  
(145,857
)
Independent professional services
  
(40,193
)
  
(41,579
)
  
(43,229
)
Supplies
  
(27,926
)
  
(25,823
)
  
(25,947
)
Insurance
  
(37,638
)
  
(23,971
)
  
(24,227
)
Levies and duties
  
(39,820
)
  
(34,844
)
  
(37,439
)
Other expenses
  
(9,891
)
  
(7,971
)
  
(21,579
)
Total
  
(276,666
)
  
(261,776
)
  
(310,642
)

Grants income mainly relate to ITC cash grants and implicit grants recorded for accounting purposes in relation to the FFB loans with interest rates below market rates in Solana and Mojave projects (Note 16).

Other operating income in 2018 includes a $39.0 million one-time gain in relation to the purchase from Abengoa of the long-term operation and maintenance payable accrued for the period up to December 31, 2017.