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Industrial electrification in Asturias through the supply of renewable steam to the Bayer plant
The project, known as Green Heat Asturias, is supported by the European Union with approximately €8 million, awarded under the fifth general call of the Innovation Fund. This represents a key milestone towards the large-scale deployment of renewable industrial heat solutions.
Head of Industrial Decarbonisation at Iberdrola España
In March 2026, Iberdrola España signed a Grant Agreement with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) to implement a pioneering initiative aimed at decarbonising industrial heat production in Asturias through the supply of fully electrified renewable steam to Bayer’s plant in La Felguera.
An innovative solution to promote industrial electrification in Asturias
The Green Heat Asturias project involves the development of a renewable heat generation plant in the municipality of Langreo, at the site of Iberdrola España’s former Lada coal-fired power station, which was decommissioned in 2020. The plant will be capable of supplying up to 32GWh/year of renewable steam to Bayer’s production facility in La Felguera, fully replacing the current steam generation system based on natural gas.
The core innovation of Green Heat Asturias lies in the full electrification of industrial steam production, based on an integrated system combining large-scale thermal energy storage, an advanced electric steam generation system and a smart energy-management system.
At the heart of the plant is a unique thermal energy storage concept based on molten salts integrated into a single storage tank, where electric heating elements and steam generators are fully integrated and immersed in the salts. This single-tank configuration enables efficient heat storage and steam production within the same system, ensuring high reliability, operational simplicity and reduced infrastructure requirements.
The facility will also include an intelligent plant control and energy management system designed to optimise operations and decouple steam production from electricity consumption in real time, enabling flexible operation aligned with the availability of renewable electricity.
Thanks to this configuration, the renewable heat plant will achieve an overall energy efficiency close to 96%, clearly outperforming conventional systems based on natural gas boilers.
Integration of renewable energy and operational flexibility as a driver of industrial electrification in Asturias
The Green Heat Asturias facility will operate using 100% renewable electricity, primarily supplied by a dedicated photovoltaic plant and complemented by renewable electricity from the network. This configuration ensures a continuous supply of green energy while using locally generated renewable energy.
The integration of thermal energy storage with an electrified heat generation system provides a high degree of operational flexibility, allowing the plant to adapt steam production to the fluctuating availability of renewable electricity. In practice, this means the system can use electricity during periods of high renewable generation and store it as heat, ensuring a reliable and stable steam supply to the customer.
Through this flexible operation, Green Heat Asturias contributes not only to the decarbonisation of industrial heat, but also to improving the efficiency and resilience of the energy system, supporting the integration of renewable electricity and reducing dependence on fossil fuels for industrial steam production.
A decisive step towards industrial electrification in Spain and Europe
Once operational, the Green Heat Asturias project will eliminate the use of natural gas for steam generation at Bayer’s plant in La Felguera, avoiding approximately 5,500 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year. As a result, the facility will be fully decarbonised in terms of both electricity and thermal consumption, setting a new benchmark for the decarbonisation of industrial heat in the pharmaceutical sector.
Beyond its direct climate impact, the project delivers broader industrial and regional benefits, including the reuse of existing industrial infrastructure at the former Lada power plant site, the creation of skilled employment and the strengthening of Asturias as a leading region for clean industrial energy solutions.
Green Heat Asturias has been designed as a pioneering flagship project, demonstrating a scalable and replicable approach to renewable industrial heat. The integrated solution deployed in Langreo can be adapted to other industrial facilities and sectors in Spain and Europe, particularly in energy-intensive industries where the decarbonisation of steam and process heat remains a major challenge.
Through this project, Iberdrola España is reinforcing its commitment to industrial electrification, technological innovation and Europe’s climate neutrality targets, contributing to the development of a competitive, resilient and low-carbon industrial economy.
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