Iberdrola, Bayer to Fully Decarbonize La Felguera Plant

Iberdrola España S.A.U. has signed a deal to install its thermal storage system designed by compatriot Inerco next to Bayer Hispania S.L.’s production plant in La Felguera, Asturias. This will allow the electrification of one of the most important projects for the industrial decarbonization of the Asturian mining area, Iberdrola said in a media release.

Iberdrola said the storage system will transform 100 percent 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 has government backing, a budget of EUR 17 million ($18.6 million), and is set for completion by June 2026, Iberdrola said.

Iberdrola said in a thermal storage system, renewable electricity is transformed into the heat required by the industry. This system also enables energy storage, allowing the factory to use electricity generated during peak renewable periods, independent of sunny hours. This results in increased flexibility and operational cost savings. Consequently, the installation promotes a broader use of renewable energy while decreasing the power supplied to the grid, Iberdrola noted.

The Bayer plant producing acetylsalicylic acid will be the first in Spain's sector to decarbonize, aided by a photovoltaic plant from Iberdrola España on previously unusable land from a former thermal power plant, Iberdrola said.

“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”, Mario Ruiz-Tagle, CEO of Iberdrola España, said. “It uses thermal storage technology, an available technology that can decarbonize up to 50 percent 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”.

Since 2018, when Bayer’s La Felguera facility began its journey in the mining basin, the company invested more than EUR 30 million ($32.8 million) in sustainability projects, Iberdrola said.

Bayer's partnership with Iberdrola España was formalized in 2020 through a long-term power purchase agreement for 100 percent renewable electricity across all its Spanish sites.

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