Located in the Huelva municipality of Villanueva de los Castillejos, in the heart of the Andévalo region, this biothermal plant is a key part of the renewable energy generation map of southern Spain. Operational since 2021 and developed under the ESCO (Energy Service Company) model, the plant supplies 100% renewable thermal and electrical energy to the agro-industrial company García-Carrión.
The project, co-financed by the European ERDF Funds, has been designed with criteria of maximum efficiency, circularity and territorial integration. Using forest biomass and local agricultural by-products, it generates high-pressure industrial steam and green electricity for its customer, while substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
This facility is a tangible example of decarbonisation applied to the agri-food sector, enabling the replacement of fossil fuels in intensive thermal processes. In addition, it has become an engine of economic revitalisation in one of the areas with the greatest forest wealth in western Andalusia, promoting rural employment, active land management and the valorisation of endogenous resources.
In addition to providing thermal energy, the plant generates 10,6 megawatts of electricity, exporting green energy to the main grid. This high-efficiency cogeneration maximizes the energy utilization of biomass and increases the overall profitability of the facility.
The facility consumes approximately 50,000 tons of biomass annually, sourced from local forest resources and agricultural by-products within a 100 km radius. This supply model ensures traceability, reduces transport emissions, and stimulates the forest value chain in Western Andalusia
The plant is capable of generating 35 megawatts thermal through biomass combustion, used to produce process steam that meets the thermal needs of the agri-food industry. This continuous and renewable supply replaces natural gas boilers, contributing to reduced emissions and lower operational costs.
By replacing fossil fuels, the plant avoids the annual emission of approximately 20,000 tons of CO₂. This reinforces its role as a critical infrastructure for the energy transition and for the sustainable competitiveness of the agro-industrial sector.
Using an ESE approach, ENSO designed, financed, built, and operates the plant, ensuring a constant thermal supply for its client without any initial investment. This model allows García-Carrión to focus on its core business while advancing toward carbon neutrality.
The plant’s location was chosen for its proximity to biomass resources in the Andévalo region, one of the main forest hubs in the province of Huelva. Since the start of its operation, the facility has enhanced the local industry’s energy resilience and generated direct and indirect employment in rural areas.
Beyond its energy role, the Villanueva Biothermal Plant acts as a driver of development for a region with limited stable employment opportunities. Since the start of its operation, it has created direct jobs in plant operations and numerous indirect jobs linked to the biomass supply chain, transportation, and forest management.
The facility thus helps stimulate the rural economy, retain population in the area, and promote active and sustainable management of forest and agricultural resources. This impact makes the project an example of how the energy transition can simultaneously drive industrial decarbonization and rural revitalization.
Located in the heart of the Andévalo region of Huelva, Villanueva de los Castillejos is an area defined by its agricultural and forestry traditions. The plant has successfully integrated into this context, adding value to local resources and promoting a circular economy model that transforms waste into useful energy for industry.
The project, co-financed by the European FEDER Funds, strengthens Huelva’s position as a key territory in Andalusia’s energy transition, while boosting territorial cohesion and qualified rural employment. ENSO, in collaboration with García-Carrión, demonstrates through this plant that sustainability and innovation can go hand in hand to transform how we produce and consume energy.
The Junta de Castilla y León highlights that the facility represents a real model of circular economy, capable of converting waste into a useful product (industrial CO₂), combining environmental stewardship with industrial activity and skilled employment in depopulated areas.
