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Bayer confirms with Iberdrola España the decarbonisation of its plant in Asturias thanks to the electrification of its steam
- The agreement represents the first heat purchase agreement (HPA) of its kind in Spain and will include an innovative molten salt thermal storage system developed and patented by Inerco
- The project, supported by the Ministry of Industry through the Strategic Projects for Economic Transformation and Recovery (PERTE) for industrial decarbonisation, will involve an investment of €17 M and is expected to be completed by June 2026
- Bayer and Iberdrola are consolidating their partnership for the transformation of the industrial model of the Asturian basin with this pioneering project, which is one of the largest in the world to date, with 15MW of renewable energy
Bayer and Iberdrola España have signed the agreement that will allow the electrification of Bayer's production plant in La Felguera, Asturias, which represents one of the most important projects for the industrial decarbonisation of the Asturian mining area.
Iberdrola España will install an innovative thermal storage system, designed by Spanish company Inerco, next to Bayer's plant and will transform 100% renewable electricity from an adjacent self-consumption facility and its various renewable plants into the steam Bayer needs to run its business. This is the first heat purchase agreement (HPA) of its kind in Spain.
The project, which has been a beneficiary of the Ministry of Industry’s PERTE for industrial decarbonisation and which has the support of the Institute for the Diversification and Savings of Energy (IDAE) in the New Business Models line, has a budget of €17 M and expects to complete its development by June 2026.
With this important milestone, the plant that produces Bayer's acetylsalicylic acid for the entire world will become the first site in its sector in Spain to decarbonise and one of the first in the world, thanks to the photovoltaic plant that Iberdrola España will install next to the factory on the unusable land of the former thermal power plant.
Cutting-edge technology for industrial transformation
This technology will allow Bayer to decarbonise its plant while reducing the impact of fossil fuel volatility on its business. In addition, this commitment will reduce CO2 emissions and pollution, increasing the consumption of local renewable energy and improve the trade balance. The project takes advantage of Spain's renewable generation potential and increases industrial competitiveness.
Mario Ruiz-Tagle, CEO of Iberdrola España: ‘This is the first major steam electrification project in Spain and one of the largest in the world, which confirms Bayer and Iberdrola España’s commitment to Asturias. It uses thermal storage technology, an available technology that can decarbonise up to 50% of the heat consumed by industry in Spain. Iberdrola España and Bayer are trail-blazing with this project, which will be the first of many in Spain and the world’.
In the words of Jorge Julián Álvarez, director of Bayer's Asturian site, ‘The agreement we are announcing is a success not only for our site, but also for the area’s productive and industrial model, which thanks to innovation is strengthened to continue developing in the future more sustainably. Our continued commitment to investment and the development of partnership in the search for innovative solutions is the key that has allowed us to grow and consolidates our commitment to Asturias and constant progress’.
For Pedro Marín, CEO of Inerco: ‘The trust of Iberdrola España and Bayer in Inerco, for the design and implementation of our technology in this important project, is an enormous satisfaction to us and an important recognition, which will surely lead us to replicate systems with these characteristics in many industrial facilities in the future’.
100% renewable electricity and thermal energy
Bayer's factory in La Felguera began its journey in the mining basin thanks to the industrial activity in the area, taking advantage of coal mining waste. Since then, its commitment to sustainability has been constant and has materialised in outstanding advances and projects, with an investment of more than €30 M since 2018.
The partnership with Iberdrola España, a company with which Bayer signed an agreement in 2020 for the supply of 100% renewable electricity at all of its sites in Spain through a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA), has been crucial to Bayer's decarbonisation. With this new step announced today, the La Felguera plant will be 100% decarbonised, which means that both companies are once again setting a new milestone for the progress and future positioning of the country's industrial activity and competitiveness.
This project is one of those promoted with the collaboration of the Just Transition Institute (ITJ), an autonomous body of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) that has worked on diagnosing, training and adopting measures and policies that empower workers and regions to see themselves as an active part of the energy transition.
The project will create more than 30 jobs during the construction and commissioning process, making the Asturian region a benchmark for innovation and technology. The heat generation facility will also provide renewable heat for the Asturian public health service’s future centralised laundry complex, also with the collaboration of the ITJ, promoted by the Principality of Asturias, which will also be located on the site of the former thermal power station of Lada.
Key technology for decarbonisation and industrial competitiveness
In a thermal storage system, renewable electricity is converted into the heat needed by the industry. The system also stores energy, allowing the factory to consume energy produced during peak renewable generation hours when needed without having to adjust to sunshine hours, resulting in greater flexibility and operational savings. In this way, the installation contributes to a greater deployment of renewables and reduces power fed into the grid.
Industries requiring low and medium temperature heat account for 50% of fossil fuel consumption in industry. The upcoming auctions for high-efficiency cogeneration, or the aid for energy storage announced by the MITECO, are already considering incorporating this technology to electrify heat and contribute to the competitiveness of these industries.
Spain is a world leader in molten salt technology, developed for solar thermal plants, which is an additional technological development opportunity for the country.
