Renewable energy company Acciona has announced that it is developing three biomass plants to produce electricity in the Spanish region of Castilla y Leon. The plants are planned for Briviesca, Valencia de Don Juan and Almazan, with total capacity of 55MW and investment of around E140 million.

Overall, the new plants will produce 440 million kWh, equivalent to the electricity consumption of 180,000 homes in Castilla y Leon and will create 300 jobs in the plants and the sector that supplies the raw material. The Briviesca plant could be operational by the second quarter of 2009 and the other two in the second half of 2010.

The Briviesca plant will have a capacity of 15MW and will produce 120 million kWh a year through the combustion of 98,000 tons of raw material (80% of herbaceous waste – mainly straw – and 20% of wood waste). It represents an investment of E43 million and construction work will begin at the end of 2007 or in early 2008.

The plant at Valencia de Don Juan will have the capacity of 25MW of the three. It will consume 160,000 tons of raw material a year, with a similar distribution to that of Briviesca (80% herbaceous waste, 20% wood waste). It represents an investment of E55 million and will produce 200 million kWh.

The plant at Almazan (Soria) has been planned for a capacity of 15MW and will have a greater variety of raw materials for combustion: on one hand forestry and agricultural waste, and energy crops on the other. The proportion will vary on the basis of supply trends and the evolution of the business. The plant represents an investment of E42 million and will produce 120 million kilowatts per year.