The ACOR cooperative’s oil and oilseed processing plant (P.T.A.O.), located in Olmedo (Valladolid), processes sunflower and rapeseed to extract vegetable oil for food and industrial use, as well as producing meal for animal feed.
As part of its commitment to combining the objectives of competitiveness, decarbonisation of its production processes, sustainability and energy independence, ACOR and ENSO proposed replacing the thermal energy required by the process – which was previously generated via natural gas cogeneration – with a renewable thermal power plant fuelled by biomass from forestry and agriculture. This plant will also utilise by-products from the cooperative members’ own agricultural and livestock activities as fuel.
The P.T.A.O. power station, with an installed capacity of 10.8 MWt, began operating in April 2026 and will prevent the emission of around 10,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. ENSO will manage, operate and maintain the plant in parallel with ACOR’s high-efficiency cogeneration plant, providing 100 % renewable thermal and electrical energy for both sugar production from sugar beet and the processing of sunflower and rapeseed.
Both plants, located at ACOR’s site in Olmedo, operate under an Energy Services Company (ESCO) model and incorporate advanced technical solutions to replace the use of natural gas with certified forestry and agricultural biomass (SURE). A significant proportion of the residual biomass from agricultural activity that is to be utilised will be supplied by the cooperative itself, making this project a benchmark for sustainability and integration into circular economy models.
The plant will be able to generate this volume of steam annually to meet the full thermal requirements of the Oil and Oilseed Processing Plant (P.T.A.O.), as well as to provide backup for sugar production, ensuring a continuous, efficient and 100 % renewable supply, with a direct impact on reducing costs and emissions.
SURE-certified sustainable forestry and agricultural biomass, part of which is supplied by cooperative partners, thereby strengthening the circular model and the circular economy through the use of agricultural by-products and waste.
By replacing natural gas with biomass, greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by more than 80 %.
The Olmedo biomass-fired thermal power plant, developed by ENSO in collaboration with the ACOR cooperative, represents a strategic project for the decarbonisation of the agro-industrial sector. Backed by the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, funded by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU # RecoveryPlan and designed under the ESE model, it incorporates advanced technical solutions that enable natural gas to be replaced by certified forestry and agricultural biomass, providing 100 % renewable thermal and electrical energy for the industrial processes at ACOR’s Oil and Oilseeds Processing Plant (P.T.A.O.).
The power station will not only provide renewable energy, but will also act as a driver of local development. It will create direct and indirect jobs, strengthen the biomass supply chain and encourage people to settle in rural areas.
Energy production will enable CO₂ emissions to be reduced by tens of thousands of tonnes a year, reinforcing ENSO and ACOR’s commitment to a cleaner and more sustainable industrial model.
Located in Olmedo, a strategic agro-industrial hub in Castile and León, the plant is set in an area characterised by agricultural tradition and technological innovation. Its development will contribute to the competitiveness of the ACOR cooperative and to the sustainable transformation of the entire regional agro-industrial chain, promoting a circular economy model that converts agricultural waste into useful energy and quality employment.
