ACCIONA Energía has started feeding renewable electricity from its Logrosan biomass plant into Spain’s power grid, adding a new source of clean energy to the country’s renewable mix.
The plant has a capacity of 50 megawatts and is expected to generate about 380 gigawatt hours of electricity each year. This output will help avoid the release of more than 187,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, an impact similar to removing around 60,000 petrol and diesel vehicles from the roads or planting about 9,000 trees.
To operate at full capacity, the plant will use an estimated 275,000 tonnes of biomass every year, mainly forestry waste. The collection of this material is expected to support better forest management by reducing excess vegetation and lowering the risk and severity of wildfires in the surrounding area.
ACCIONA Energía secured the project through the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge under the third renewable energy auction, which guarantees a fixed electricity sale price for the plant for 20 years. The company is responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of the facility, reports Bioenergy Insight.
Construction of the Logrosan plant created more than 400 jobs, while its operation and maintenance will support around 30 permanent positions. In addition, more than 900 contractors and small and medium-sized firms from the agroforestry and transport sectors are expected to be involved in the supply chain.
Around 200 direct jobs are linked specifically to the collection of prunings, scrub and forestry waste. This work is seen as equivalent to having 200 people engaged year-round in forest management and fire prevention activities in the region.
The project is also expected to boost the local economy, with about one-third of the income generated returning directly to the area through services, employment and the purchase of local supplies. In a rural region affected by population decline and limited industrial opportunities, the biomass plant is being viewed as a source of economic renewal.
Beyond the plant itself, ACCIONA Energía has launched several initiatives to support local development. These include efforts to revitalise the Del Campo San Mateo olive oil cooperative, the installation of a solar power system for self-use at a livestock cooperative, and financial support to help biomass suppliers buy new machinery.
