Ence’s biomass renewable energy plants in Castilla – La Mancha generate enough electricity to satisfy the domestic needs of 260,000 people, a population equivalent to the entire province of Guadalajara. It is a green and sustainable energy, in addition to being manageable, which contributes to the decarbonization of the national system, generates employment opportunities in what is known as “Empty Spain” and represents an environmentally responsible solution for the plant remains of the agricultural activities of rural territories.
Ence manages two biomass generation plants in Castilla – La Mancha: the Puertollano plant, with a 50 MW capacity, and Enemansa, with 16 MW, in Villarta de San Juan. Together, last year they contributed 316,700 MWh of renewable and fully manageable electricity to the grid from the recovery of plant remains, mainly agricultural.
These types of facilities allow us to take advantage of the great opportunity posed by the global challenge of the energy transition towards a decarbonised model and contribute to meeting the renewable generation objectives established at the European and Spanish level. In addition, the Puertollano plant is an example of a just energy transition, taking advantage of the site that was previously occupied by a fossil fuel power plant.
On the other hand, the energy use of all the forest and agricultural remains in the surroundings of Ence’s plants in Castilla – La Mancha has a high social impact in terms of economic dynamism and employment. According to data from the Association of Renewable Energy Companies (APPA), each megawatt installed for biomass supports 30 jobs between direct, indirect and induced, which raises the social impact of Ence’s energy activity in this autonomous community up to 2,000 jobs.
At this point, the contribution of these facilities to the fight against the depopulation of rural areas is evident, by creating employment and wealth in the environment in which they operate. In fact, on average, 85% of the direct and indirect workers of these plants are professionals from neighboring towns; and the company is committed to giving priority to suppliers located in the region in its purchasing processes, as part of its commitment to developing the environments where it operates.
Ence is the largest generator of renewable energy with biomass in Spain, with an installed capacity of 266 MW and a project portfolio of 505 MW, which also includes photovoltaic installations. The company acquires, annually, 1.7 million tons of biomass, applying its own decalogue that guarantees its sustainable use as fuel, thus promoting the circular economy in rural areas. Ence’s plants, by taking advantage of local agricultural and forestry plant remains, contribute to reducing their environmental impact, solving problems in their management, and minimizing the risk of fires.
Ence is committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and to the objectives established at the national and international level to fight against climate change. In this sense, the company works intensively to collaborate in the necessary green recovery after the pandemic, which should shape European investment policies in the coming years.
