Spain advances green transition with Figueruelas EV battery factory

(MENAFN) The town of Figueruelas in Aragón, northeastern Spain, symbolizes the country’s renewable energy ambitions, with wind turbines, solar farms, and a new €4bn electric vehicle battery factory backed by Chinese firm CATL and Stellantis. Spain has increased its renewable electricity share from 33% in 2017 to 57% last year, with a 2030 target of 81%.

However, Spain’s green transition has come under scrutiny following a nationwide blackout on 28 April that left homes, businesses, and public services in the dark. While the government and national grid operator, Red Eléctrica, deny renewables caused the outage, political opponents, including conservative leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo and the far-right Vox party, have criticized Spain’s reliance on intermittent energy sources.

Spain’s nuclear industry, currently producing around 20% of electricity, has also pushed back against plans to close all five nuclear plants between 2027 and 2035, arguing that nuclear provides stable, CO₂-free power around the clock and complements renewable sources.

Requests to extend plant lifespans are under consideration.

Experts acknowledge challenges in energy storage and grid integration on the Iberian Peninsula, highlighting the need for better infrastructure to support high renewable penetration.

Meanwhile, Figueruelas continues to attract investment, with the battery factory expected to bring 2,000 Chinese workers for construction and create up to 35,000 indirect jobs, powered largely by clean energy from local wind and solar sources.

Spain’s renewable energy transition continues, but its long-term trajectory may depend on political developments, including a potential snap election that could bring a government less committed to green energy.

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