Iberdrola supplies renewable steam to Bayer plant in Asturias

Iberdrola has begun supplying 100% renewable steam to Bayer’s manufacturing plant in La Felguera, Asturias, to decarbonize the production of acetylsalicylic acid, the active ingredient in Aspirin.

The project involves replacing natural gas boilers with an electrification process powered by renewable electricity. To ensure a continuous supply, the installation utilizes a large-scale thermal energy storage system using salts, which accumulates energy when renewable generation is high and releases it to produce steam as needed. This is noted as one of the largest heat electrification projects with thermal storage in Spain.

The initiative represents an investment of over 18 million euros. Iberdrola has secured the energy through a 15 MW renewable power purchase agreement (PPA) and a 2.5 MW self-consumption photovoltaic installation. The project aims to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 6,500 tons per year, with continuous supply expected to be fully operational by late 2025 or early 2027.