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On the outskirts of Figueruelas, a tranquil town, a solitary, imposing wind turbine rotates, its shadow stretching across the nearby structures.
It serves as a visual testament to the significance of renewable energy in this breezy region of Aragón, northeastern Spain, where expansive plains host numerous wind and solar energy farms.
Figueruelas’s role as a symbol of Spain’s green transition has been further solidified by the commencement of construction on a massive factory dedicated to producing electric vehicle batteries.
The Chinese firm CATL and the Netherlands-based Stellantis are jointly investing €4 billion ($4.7 billion; £3.5 billion) in the facility. China’s ambassador to Spain, Yao Jing, has lauded it as “one of the largest Chinese investments Europe has ever witnessed.”
Luis Bertol Moreno, the town’s mayor, emphasizes that the area was a natural selection for the project.
“We are situated in Aragón, an area characterized by year-round wind and abundant sunshine, surrounded by wind turbines and solar panels,” he states.
“These energy sources will be pivotal in generating electricity for the new factory, which I believe was the primary motivation for locating it here in Figueruelas.”
The factory’s establishment can be viewed as a validation of Spain’s energy model, which prioritizes renewable sources. In 2017, renewables accounted for just a third of Spain’s electricity production, but by last year, they represented 57%.
The government aims to increase this contribution to 81% by 2030.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez succinctly articulated his government’s approach, responding to former US President Donald Trump’s pro-fossil fuel slogan “Dig, baby, dig” with “Green, baby, green,” highlighting the advantages of renewable energy.
However, Spain’s unwavering commitment to renewables has faced scrutiny in recent months, largely due to a widespread blackout on April 28 that plunged homes, businesses, government buildings, public transport, schools, and universities across Spain and neighboring Portugal into darkness for several hours.
The government’s inability to provide a comprehensive explanation for the outage transformed the country’s energy mix into a contentious political issue. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the leader of the conservative opposition, accused the government of “fanaticism” in its pursuit of a green agenda, suggesting that an over-reliance on renewables may have contributed to the incident.
Feijóo and other voices on the right have advocated for a re-evaluation of the national energy model.
The fact that solar generation in mainland Spain reached a record 61.5% of the electricity mix a week prior to the blackout has fueled such claims.
Nevertheless, both the government and national grid operator Red Eléctrica have refuted any connection between the outage and the prevalence of renewable energy sources in Spain.
“We have previously operated the system with higher renewable rates without affecting its security,” asserts Concha Sánchez, head of operations for Red Eléctrica. “It is definitely not a question of the rate of renewables at that moment.”
Ms. Sánchez attributed the blackout to a combination of factors, including an “unknown event” in the system moments before, resulting in anomalous voltage oscillations.
However, Red Eléctrica and the government are still awaiting reports on the incident, hoping to pinpoint the precise cause. A cyber-attack has been repeatedly dismissed as a possibility.
Since April, Spain’s electricity mix has undergone some adjustments, with a greater emphasis on natural gas, underscoring the notion that the country is at an energy crossroads.
Spain’s nuclear industry, which currently accounts for approximately 20% of national electricity, has been particularly vocal since the blackout, pushing back against government plans to decommission the country’s five nuclear plants between 2027 and 2035.
With many European countries experiencing a nuclear renaissance, these planned closures make Spain somewhat of an anomaly. The companies owning the Almaraz plant in southwestern Spain, slated to be the first to shut down, have requested a three-year extension to its operational life until 2030. This request is currently under consideration.
Ignacio Araluce, president of Foro Nuclear, an association representing the industry, notes that Spain is the only country globally planning to close operational nuclear plants. He contends that nuclear energy provides stability while remaining compatible with the green energy transition.
“It is prudent to maintain a mix of renewables and nuclear energy,” he argues.
Mr. Araluce acknowledges the merits of renewable sources, as they only require natural elements to generate electricity, but emphasizes their inability to operate continuously or during unfavorable weather conditions.
“How can you produce energy during those hours when renewables are not generating?” he questions. The answer, he suggests, lies “with a source like nuclear, which does not produce CO2 and operates throughout the year.”
The political opposition strongly opposes the nuclear shutdown. The far-right Vox, criticizing what it perceived as a lack of explanation from the government regarding the April blackout, recently described nuclear power as “a crucial source of stability.”
Ms. Sánchez concedes that there is room for improvement in Spain’s electricity model, highlighting the Iberian Peninsula’s relative isolation from the European grid compared to most of its EU counterparts. She also identifies storage as a critical area.
“While we have made significant strides in renewable installation, the same cannot be said for storage,” she states. “We need to promote storage installation.”
Spain’s political landscape adds an element of uncertainty to its energy future. The Socialist-led coalition has been embroiled in corruption scandals, and its parliamentary majority appears to have weakened in recent weeks, raising the possibility of a snap election in the coming months.
A right-wing government, which polls suggest is the likely outcome, would almost certainly place less emphasis on renewables and advocate for a partial return to more conventional energy sources.
But in the interim, Spain’s renewable transition persists.
For Figueruelas, in Aragón, this signifies not only affordable, clean energy but also investment. The town’s population, currently at just 1,000, is expected to increase significantly, with 2,000 Chinese workers scheduled to arrive to assist in building the new battery plant, which is projected to create up to 35,000 indirect jobs upon commencement of operations.
“These types of investments revitalize the area, stimulating the construction sector and hospitality,” says local resident Manuel Martín. “And the energy is free – it simply depends on the sun and the wind.”
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