Hunosa awards the project and construction work for the conversion of the La Pereda power plant to biomass

The Board of Directors of Hunosa has authorized the awarding of the contract for drafting the project and carrying out the biomass conversion works at the La Pereda Thermal Power Plant in Mieres to the joint venture formed by Moncobra and Maetel Instalaciones y Servicios Industriales for eur (excluding VAT) . The winning bidder submitted the most competitive offer of the two received, both in terms of cost and execution time and technical solution.

The work will be completed in 19 months—two months less than required by the tender specifications—with a reduction of over eur600,000 compared to the initial bid price of eur37.5 million. According to the agreed schedule, the project will be completed in the second half of 2025.

Moncobra is a Spanish company with over 30 years of experience in project management and execution. It has a long track record of carrying out projects in both coal-fired power plants (including boiler modifications) and biomass power plants. It also has a long-standing presence in Asturias. Meanwhile, Maetel Instalaciones y Servicios Industriales, also Spanish, has over 25 years of experience in the management and execution of complex turnkey projects, especially in renewable energy generation.

The project includes a series of technical modifications to the existing facilities , among them the adaptation of the boiler and the gas treatment system , improvements to the efficiency of the cooling cycle , and a storage and feeding system for the new fuels to be used . This is an innovative project, as it exemplifies the repurposing of an existing facility , originally designed to operate on fossil fuels, by modifying it to use renewable fuels. This serves as an example of a circular economy and energy transition, with a renewable installation that is beneficial from both an energy and environmental perspective.

The transformation of La Pereda into a sustainable, locally sourced biomass power plant aligns with the objectives of consolidating the viability of the Hunosa Group, contributing to a clean and sustainable economy, and strengthening its core region , with a clear commitment to decarbonization. The remuneration scheme obtained by the company in the renewable energy auction held in October 2022 guarantees the plant's continued operation for at least 20 years.

The use of biomass as fuel is part of the decarbonization process and the circular economy , promoting a clean economy, reducing emissions of polluting gases, improving energy efficiency, and boosting electricity generation from renewable energy sources. Along with biomass, the new thermal power plant will be able to use recovered solid fuel (non-hazardous waste for energy recovery) up to a maximum of 10%.

Furthermore, this project aims to contribute to the much-needed improvement of forest management , a crucial area lacking in a significant portion of Asturias' woodlands. According to industry estimates, the La Pereda project could generate approximately 200 indirect jobs.

The La Pereda thermoelectric power plant, the prime example of Hunosa's diversification strategy, was planned in the 1980s and built in the early 1990s. Since its construction, it has been a model of a thermoelectric power plant with lower greenhouse gas emissions, further enhanced by the addition of a CO2 capture plant, funded by the EU, which has been a successful R&D project.

La Pereda is currently participating in the European project eur , which will upgrade the CO2 capture plant to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by more than 99% eur 15 million by the Horizon Eur and coordinated by the Institute of Carbon Science and Technology (INCAR-CSIC), the initiative aims to reduce emissions and energy costs in the industrial sector, with the ultimate goal of being able to build commercial CO2 capture plants by 2030.

Environmental authorization
Today the Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias (BOPA) publishes the integrated environmental authorization of the La Pereda transformation project for the valorization of biomass and recovered solid fuel, a procedure of the environmental legislation necessary for the plant to become operational with the new fuel.