The City of Gijón in northern Spain has chosen ACCIONA Energía to take charge of its energy services for the next 15 years for a total of €160 million.

The contract aims to accelerate Gijón's green, energy and digital transition, as well as to facilitate and accelerate decarbonisation, the installation of renewable energy sources and storage technologies, the development of energy communities and the creation of opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship and employment, as well as the city's sustainable development.

It is the largest energy services contract to date in Spain with the goal of developing a Smart City driven by innovation, sustainability and citizen participation.

ACCIONA Energía, in collaboration with Citelum (a leading expert in energy services for public lighting), will undertake comprehensive smart management of energy supply (heat and power) and manage public lighting, municipal buildings and facilities, deploy and operate a neutral, open interoperable network for the Internet of Things and pursue innovation in services for green, digital development.

These measures will reduce the electricity consumption of municipal services and public lighting by up to 68% and heat consumption by 15%, cutting CO2 emissions by at least 30%.

ACCIONA Energía and the City of Gijón are also planning a series of complementary measures to not only reduce energy consumption, but to also prioritise the use of renewable energy sources. They include installing biomass boilers in place of oil-fired boilers, district heating schemes, energy communities, and self-consumption with storage.

The contract puts Gijón to the forefront in Europe in terms of the energy transition, digitalisation and fulfilment of the objectives of the Agenda 2030, thanks to the innovation and sustainability plan incorporated into the project.