In Spain, ACCIONA Energía, a subsidiary of ACCIONA S.A., a global developer and operator of infrastructure projects, has announced that its Logrosán biomass power plant in Cáceres has begun supplying electricity to the power grid. With a capacity of 50 MWe, the plant will generate 380 GWh of renewable electricity per annum.
ACCIONA Energía was awarded the contract for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Logrosán biomass plant in Cáceres by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge in the third auction for the renewable energy economic regime, which guarantees a sale price for the electricity produced by the plant for 20 years.
Reduce wildfire risk and intensity
According to ACCIONA Energía, biomass is a renewable, dispatchable energy source that can operate continuously, respond to peak demand, and contribute to grid stability.
It is also one of the energy sources that generates the most employment, promoting rural development and boosting local value chains.
The annual fuel consumption of the plant is estimated at 275,000 tonnes of biomass, mainly from forestry waste.
Its collection will contribute to active forest management, reducing the biomass load, thereby reducing the occurrence and intensity of wildfires in the area.
Positive socio-economic impacts
The Logrosán plant generated over 400 jobs during construction and will support around 30 direct jobs in operation and maintenance.
In addition, more than 900 contractors and SMEs from the agroforestry and transport sectors will participate in the value chain.
Of these, around 200 direct jobs are linked to the recovery of prunings, scrubland, and forestry waste –equivalent to having 200 ‘forest firefighters’ working year-round on forest management and fire prevention tasks in the region.
The positive impact extends to the local economy as a whole, with one-third of the income generated by the activity returning directly to the region through services, staff recruitment, and the purchase of supplies.
In a rural environment marked by depopulation and a lack of industrial alternatives, biomass becomes a genuine driver of economic revitalisation.
In addition to these direct contributions, ACCIONA Energía has launched a series of initiatives to strengthen the area’s socio-economic development.
These include a project to revitalise the Del Campo San Mateo olive oil cooperative, the installation of a photovoltaic self-consumption system in a livestock cooperative, and the provision of financial support to facilitate the purchase of machinery by biomass suppliers.
Fourth biomass power facility
ACCIONA Energía has over 25 years of experience in the biomass sector, spanning the entire value chain: from design and construction to operation and maintenance, including supply management.
This track record is underpinned by a well-established network of suppliers – some of which are now in their third generation – as well as the use of advanced technologies for monitoring, digital control, predictive diagnostics, boiler optimization, and high-efficiency emissions-reduction systems.
These capabilities enable the company to maximize energy efficiency, minimize unplanned downtime, and meet the highest environmental standards.
ACCIONA Energía was a first mover in southern Europe with the commissioning of the Sangüesa biomass plant (30 MWe) in 2002, followed by the Briviesca (16 MWe) and Miajadas (15 MWe) facilities.
