Briefing
Bayer and Iberdrola have begun supplying La Felguera at the production site in the municipality of Langreo (Asturias) with 100 per cent renewable steam. The plant converts renewable electricity from an adjacent photovoltaic installation and other generation sources into industrial steam using thermal storage. The steam is needed to produce acetylsalicylic acid —the active ingredient in Bayer’s Aspirinproducts.
According to the project partners, continuous supply began in recent days; full commissioning of the first expansion phase was scheduled for the second half of 2026. The project is based on a long-term electricity supply contract (Power Purchase Agreement) and a heat or steam supply contract (Heat Purchase Agreement), which are intended to ensure security of supply and allow the renewable energy to be used flexibly over time.
Iberdrola and Bayer estimate the annual savings potential at several thousand tonnes of CO2; figures in press materials put this at around 6,500 to 8,000 tonnes per year, based on the initial phase and subject to later measurements. Technically, the project combines the electrification of steam generation with a molten-salt thermal storage system; according to the companies, the scope of supply and design draw on domestic engineering expertise.
Bayer notes that the La Felguera plant has for years produced the group’s acetylsalicylic acid output supplied worldwide; employees there also manufacture other active ingredients. The joint project has been linked to funding and programmes for industrial decarbonisation and is intended to move the site gradually towards permanent operation with lower Scope 1 emissions.
The dates, savings estimates and technical descriptions reported here are drawn from recent announcements by Bayer and Iberdrola and a regional report by a news agency. Exact emissions accounts and final monitoring data will depend on measurements during normal operations.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).