The Board of Directors of Hunosa has authorized the award of the contract for drafting the project and execution of the biomass transformation works of the La Pereda Thermal Power Plant, in Mieres, to the joint venture composed of Moncobra and Maetel Instalaciones y Servicios Industriales 36.9 million euros (VAT excluded) . The successful bidder has presented the most competitive offer of the two received, both in economic terms and in terms of execution and technical solution.
The work will be undertaken in 19 months - two less than those required in the specifications - with a reduction of more than 600,000 euros compared to the tender price, set at 37.5 million euros. The work, according to the committed calendar, will be received in the second half of 2025.
Moncobra is a Spanish company with more than 30 years of activity with extensive experience in project management and execution. It has a long track record of carrying out projects in both coal-fired thermal power plants (including boiler modifications) and biomass power plants. It also has a historical establishment in Asturias. For its part, the also Spanish Maetel Instalaciones y Servicios Industriales has more than 25 years of experience in the management and execution of complex turnkey projects, especially renewable generation.
The project includes a set of technical modifications to the existing facilities , including the adaptation of the boiler and the gas treatment system , the improvement of the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle and a storage and feeding system for the new fuels that will be used. they will use This is a novel project, since it represents an example of the use of an existing facility , originally designed to operate with a fossil fuel, which is modified to consume other fuels of renewable origin, this being an example of circular economy and energy transition. with a renewable installation beneficial from an energy and environmental point of view.
The transformation to a native and sustainable biomass plant in La Pereda responds to the objectives of consolidating the viability of Grupo Hunosa, contributing to a clean and sustainable economy and structuring its reference territory , with a clear commitment to decarbonization. The remuneration regime obtained by the company in the renewable energy auction held in October 2022 guarantees the continuity of the installation for at least 20 years.
The use of biomass as fuel is part of the decarbonization process and the circular economy , betting on a clean economy, the reduction of polluting gas emissions, the improvement of energy efficiency and the promotion of the generation of electrical energy 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) in a maximum percentage of 10%.
Furthermore, this project aims to help the necessary promotion of forest management , a pending issue in an important part of the Asturian mountains. According to sector estimates, the La Pereda project could generate around 200 induced jobs.
The La Pereda thermoelectric group, which is the main exponent of Hunosa's diversification, was designed in the eighties of the last century and was built at the beginning of the nineties. Since its construction, it has been an example of a thermoelectric plant with lower greenhouse gas emissions, and to this was added the CO2 capture plant, financed by the EU and which as an R&D project has been a success.
La Pereda is currently participating in the European project CaLby2030, which will reform the CO2 capture plant to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by levels greater than 99% . Financed with 15 million euros by the Horizon Europe program 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 in 2030.
Environmental authorization
Precisely 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 process of environmental legislation necessary for the plant to come into operation with the new fuel.
