When people explain how they’ve managed to turn an idea into reality, they rarely fail to mention words like “enthusiasm” or “excitement”, because those feelings are often what push projects forward. But when those projects also receive institutional support and funding, another powerful concept comes into play: “opportunity”.
We are living through a pivotal moment of energy, economic, and social transformation toward a more sustainable future. One of the key drivers is the investment provided by the EU’s Next Generation funds, which are channeled through Spain’s public institutions. The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), which manages many of the resources aimed at reducing carbon emissions, recently brought together the leaders of several projects that are either already operating or about to launch.
Ponfeblino – Giving new green life to a historic rail line
In the province of León, 60 kilometers separate Ponferrada and Villablino. A decade ago, they were connected by a railway built to serve the mining industry. Today, that same infrastructure is being transformed into an engine for sustainable local growth. This is the mission of the Ponfeblino Tourist Train Consortium, which aims to become a highly valuable local railway.
Ponfeblino is restoring the track and rolling stock to create a rail corridor powered by sustainable fuels. “We’re giving the region a new opportunity through a unique 100-year-old train, with two locomotives and six cars that will carry up to 250 passengers,” says Mario Rivas, mayor of Villablino. While tourism is the primary goal, the project also has industrial applications. Rivas points out that “it offers a real opportunity to test green hydrogen in locomotives.”
A zero-emissions Royal Theater
Standing on Madrid’s Plaza Isabel II and approaching its 175th anniversary, the Royal Theater is regarded as one of Spain’s most emblematic buildings. The Royal Theater’s long history is matched by the scale of the challenge it faced: reducing almost to zero the energy dependence of its more than 65,000 m², which are protected as Historical Heritage.
To make its energy use “near-neutral” while preserving the building’s defining elements, the theater implemented a pioneering project using photovoltaic tiles, panels designed to blend into the roofline while harvesting solar energy. More than 2,000 of these distinctive solar panels now generate up to 190 MWh per year, roughly the average annual electricity consumption of 75 households.
The rooftop installation is the most visible of the measures the Royal Theater has taken to produce nearly as much energy as it consumes. The rest of the work has focused on equipment efficiency and building conditioning, no small task in a space that is not only vast but also has very high ceilings. “We optimized schedules, upgraded to more efficient equipment, and implemented AI-based solutions… all to achieve a 50% reduction in consumption,” says Nuria Gallego-Salvador, Director of Infrastructure at the Royal Theater.
Crevillent: Finding energy where there was none
Spain’s largest energy community is not located in a major metropolis but in an inland town in the province of Alicante with roughly 30,000 inhabitants. It is the major milestone Crevillent’s residents have achieved after launching a solar generation-and-distribution project that is now five years old. The installations already supply about 3,000 households, and that capacity is expected to triple within roughly a year thanks to institutional support. The project’s objective is for 100% of the households in this Alicante town to join the energy community by 2030, making it the first self-sufficient town of its kind in Spain.
“This type of installation doesn’t compete with larger facilities, but it makes the energy transition sustainable within cities as well,” says Joaquim Mas, General Director of Enercoop, the cooperative driving the Crevillent energy community. Looking ahead, the plan is to install photovoltaic capacity on urban land and rooftops in the town center, because “if consumption is distributed, it makes sense that generation should be distributed too,” Mas adds.
Mas also reflects on the role of public–private collaboration in achieving the objectives of any project, underscoring the importance of the concept of “incentive”. The cooperative’s spokesperson draws a clear distinction between incentives and other forms of support: “An incentive is not a subsidy; it is a reward for initiative or for good practices. Incentives are necessary.” In this way, the executive blends concepts such as “enthusiasm” and “emotion” with the commitment of public authorities, rounding out the recipe for a successful energy transition.